Results 101 - 120 of 495
|
||||||
Results from: Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
101 | What's in a name? | Phil 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132950 | ||
Seems the Lord does not want us to discuss this topic at this time. Perhaps we can return to it at a later time. Whatever we do, we must honor that name. We could do so by being thoughtful about the topic, respectful, with awe, of him for whom it stands, and polite to each other. Perhaps another time. I would respectfully request that this note be allowed to pass and attach to the topic without comment at this time. | ||||||
102 | All of that? | Phil 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132833 | ||
I've thought about this for ten minutes and I still do not know how to answer your question, so please excuse me. I have no answer. | ||||||
103 | What's in a name? | Phil 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132831 | ||
I am sorry. I prefer not to deal with that attitude. Let's let it be. | ||||||
104 | Homosexuality, sin or not? | 1 Cor 6:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132829 | ||
You are correct. In choosing three items to illustrate, I knew I should have left pride off the list and included a simple statement for failure to strengthen the hand of the poor and needy, but I was pressed for time and forgot to do that. So there is another item on the list that God calls abomination. I hope that the discovery does not detract from the point being made. There are other abominations besides homosexuality, but it is one of them. More importantly, we have all sinned, but the blood of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to cover every sin. The point of my post was that God does not send judgment because of a single sin. However, past judgments on others should teach us that it is not wise to continue in sin. God requires that we repent and he offers us forgiveness. Christ bore God’s judgment for all our sins and we can have salvation through faith in him. |
||||||
105 | Homosexuality, sin or not? | 1 Cor 6:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132794 | ||
Hello LB: I would ask the person why, in quoting form Ezekiel 16, they stop at verse 49. Verses 50, 51 and 52 all speak of the abominations that they had committed. Those who point to sins in verse 49 might wander what those abominations were. Pride and idleness and fullness of bread are not described as abominations. Not that homosexuality is the only abomination. There are many others. And God was saying that his people had committed worse abominations than had the people of Sodom. But it is clear that homosexuality was one of those for “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (Leviticus 18:22). As for the judgment of God, he says nowhere that he destroyed those cities for just one sin. The passage you have looked at in Ezekiel chapter 16 shows it was for a combination of sins. Sodom is identified in today’s parlance with homosexuality, but God does not seem to have singled out one sin. It is usually the case that people commit many different kinds of sin. Read Romans 1:23-31. There are many sins mentioned there, and homosexuality is but one of them. But the judgment of God comes because of any and all of them. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (verse 18). As to your original question then, “Is homosexuality a sin?” The answer is yes. It is a specially detestable sin called an abomination. But heterosexual fornication is also a bad sin. As Paul would say, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body”(1 Corinthians 6:18 ). The situation is seen in its truest and worst light when we realize that our bodies are actually the temple of the holy Spirit (v. 19). A sin against your body is therefore a case of defiling God’s temple. That is a terrible and dangerous thing to do. What if God gets angry and wants to punish the person committing that affront? Some people wonder where sins such as homosexuality come from. God says it comes because we do not respect him enough to respond to the knowledge he gives us. In other words, we know better but we sin anyway. God calls on us to repent. He commands us to repent. If we refuse, he gives up on us, and that may be the greatest judgment of all. “God gave them up to a reprobate mind” and with that, vile and dangerous things may seem good and worthwhile in their eyes. The are not thinking right. Did Jesus not talk about homosexuality? Jesus said he had not come to destroy the law, and he did not destroy the words of Leviticus 18:22. He asked, “Have ye not read (in the book of Genesis) that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?’” It’s a rhetorical question. 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 also has a list of sins, and homosexuality is on the list. We could have done any combination of those. But when we are saved, we are forgiven of them all. “You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). After we are saved we give up the practice of sin. We seek to glorify God in our body and in our spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20) because we realize that they are God’s. |
||||||
106 | What's in a name? | Phil 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132785 | ||
I confess to you that this is a trail that I have not gone down before. I agree with the idea that we should be careful and I trust that the scholars who inhabit this space will keep us in check. I hope they can do so without accusations if and when we get off track. It has been suggested before that we should worship the Lord and not worship his name. From what we have seen so far it seems that we can and should honor, glorify, praise his name. It is as though his name is his identity. It is not like any other item that one may wear awhile and then discard. God will be identified by his name forever. To praise the Lord’s name is the same things as praising him. Or is it? In Psalm 29:2 “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name” is the same as “worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness”. Or is it? In Psalm 66:4 “All the earth … shall sing unto you” is the same as “they shall sing to your name”. Or is it? Psalm 86:9 “All nations whom he has hast made shall come and worship before you” is equivalent to “They shall glorify your name”. Or is it? Psalm 135:1 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD”. The first and last clauses seem to be the same. I assume the one in the middle is saying the same thing. Or is it? It is my sense at this point that the phrases may not be exactly equivalent, but that the name of the Lord is as close as we get to the person of God this side of heaven. God is a spirit and we do not see him. We know him by his name. His name, meanwhile is revealed to us in his word. It stands for his attributes, the ones he has revealed to us. And is it not interesting in Revelation 19 that his name is called the Word of God (v. 13). We relate to him in terms of what he has said. It occurs to me that it is the way we relate to each other as well. We on this forum know each other by our words, and it is our words that communicate what we are. I say this advisedly. There may be some who know each other in other ways. But in some sense it is also true that we know no man after the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16). In fact, those who had known Christ after the flesh did not focus on that part: his physical being or anything emanating from that. They do not talk at all about what he looked like or sounded like, and though some strain to say that he had a sense of humor or such, the writers of Scripture were not focused on those types of things. They were focused on what he had said and what he stood for, the word of God, and it is captured and summarized in his name. I agree also with the warning we had that we should not try to analyze God. His nature is beyond us, for who ca understand omniscience or omnipotence or infinity or eternity. Those characteristics cause us to fall down and worship him. But what else can we do before him who was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8;4:8)? We cannot see all that he can do but we can worship him because of that name and because of the ability he has given us to understand some of what it means. But it is the name of God as much as his person that is help out to us for our response, be it worship or praise or thanks. When the Lord descended to the mount and stood with Moses there, it is the name of the Lord that he proclaimed. Moses was not allowed to see his person. But the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth …”, and Moses made haste and bowed himself and worshipped. It seems to me there is some danger in making this post. But these are the thoughts that occurred to me as I meditated on the word pertaining to the name of the Lord. I look forward to the thoughts of my fellow travelers here. I do not expect that it will be helpful to hear disparaging words, but I would like to hear the thoughts that others may have as they meditate on the passages cited, and specifically on the name of the Lord. |
||||||
107 | What's in a name? | Phil 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132756 | ||
Question withdrawn. Unless otherwise notified I will assume there is no scripture stating these things. | ||||||
108 | What's in a name? | Phil 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132693 | ||
Seems that the Lord does not want to be separated from his name. As often as we are asked to praise the Lord, we are asked to praise his name. We are to bless the Lord and we are to bless his holy name. There is this focus on his name: (Psalm 148:5) Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. Joel 2:26 Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. His name and his person seem to be linked inextricably: Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 113:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalm 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. We are to trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5). And we are to trust in his name (Matthew 12:31). We are to love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:5; Psalm 31:23) and we are to love his name (Psalm 5:11; 69:36; 119:132; Isaiah 56:6). O course any name, like a label, represents and stands for something. But it seems that God’s name, because it stands for God, means something other names do not mean, and we are to relate to it in a special way. We are to pray in his name (John 14:13,14;15:16;16:23,24,26). Matter of fact we are asked to do everything in his name (Colossians 3:17). Praise the LORD. Praise, O you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. And comment, please. |
||||||
109 | Why was there fear here? | Acts 5:11 | Aixen7z4 | 132687 | ||
Please pray that God will give us one heart and one way, as in Jeremiah 32:39, and a different kind of fear (v. 40). | ||||||
110 | Why was there fear here? | Acts 5:11 | Aixen7z4 | 132674 | ||
One question for us to ponder is whether the verbs and pronouns in Ephesians 6:10-18 are in the singular number, or plural. I slipped your note into my Bible so I could sneak a peek at it as I visited with the five (5) churches on our schedule for the Lord’s day. As it was, I could read about it and look up and see the things you spoke of. By the end of the day, I thought I had an answer. The first church (Dou you want to hear about them?) it is one I know quite well, a source of many clients. I listened to people talking in Sunday School, people whose lives I knew, and I was almost overwhelmed. I wondered if they thought it possible I would speak up and ask some personal questions. In the end I decided it was because they had confidence in the confidentiality we promise. Of course, our ministry depends on it, and I could not violate. But they knew that I knew that they know. I thought there must be some way to address this in general without putting any individual at risk. The second church had been bolted shut. The neighbor across the street said there had been a fight and they had decided to close the church for two weeks until things were settled. The fact is the pastor had invited me to preach and to “do whatever else you do, as the Lord would lead”, and he had not called to cancel. I felt there was a need here to help people who were to weak to even call for help. I will call them. Care to guess what the response will be? The third one was like a dream. Together, they openly acknowledged a need, accepted what we had to offer, and immediately asked us to come back next Lord’s day to minister. Church number four accepted our ministry and asked us to pray for them. But there were needs the pastor did not see. He believes that preaching solves everything and in fact he gave us only half the meeting, reserving the second half to continue with his series. It was the assistant pastor who had invited us and he wants to meet with us again to discuss the needs. I think we are walking a tight rope here, but we are addressing only the need for evangelism and I hope we can arrive at something that all can approve. The last church was a shocker and a tear jerker. It is in a large building that we had seen virtually full. Now there were a few people sprinkled over the auditorium, and they were to be in court with some who had left one day this week. The amazing thing was the façade that was still being shown in the meeting. I wondered what was really going on in the mind of the pastor as his eyes met mine. He knew that I knew that he knew he had failed to show up for his last appointment and had not even called to say why. I guess I had been persuaded that these brethren need help. I sat with that pastor and looked at him for thirty (30) seconds and then asked, “Why don’t you let us help you?”. He said he had been asking himself the same question and could not come up with an answer. He had often thought of calling, but something would stop him. And I was thinking, “Not something. Someone”. Let me just say, mommapbs, that I agree with what you have said. We have an enemy who is actively involved in opposing what we stand for. Why does he win? I will tell you what I think: It is because he is able to divide us. We think of the battle as an individual tussle with him, and most of us fight it so. But we are not lone fighters. We are the Lord’s army, and we need to fight together. It is so sad to see believers not only fighting the enemy in solitary battles, but also fighting each other. This is a sure formula for failure, and we do fail. But then, because we know we are supposed to win the fight, we talk as though we’re winning. So there’s my theory. The hypothesis is that we will get victory if, God before us, we fight together. I will get to test it this week. The pastor of church number five promised to get his leadership team together and take them to see us. It’s so we can fight together. Do you think they will follow through and keep that promise? I told him Satan would influence him again to not call. He said Satan won’t succeed this time. They’ll be there. What do you think? |
||||||
111 | Why was there fear here? | Acts 5:11 | Aixen7z4 | 132608 | ||
This is good. I will print it out and take it with me and ponder it. I think from this first reading that there is something to be done and I look forward to looking tinto it. | ||||||
112 | Why was there fear here? | Acts 5:11 | Aixen7z4 | 132589 | ||
Bear another comment, this one on “telling the truth”. I hope it is not as bad where you are. The believers I know do not tell the truth. And that, as I have found out from them, is different from telling a lie. It is quite similar to the case of Ananias and Sapphira. They would say, “Yes, we got a thousand dollars for it” when they got two thousand. The idea would be that the thousand is included in the two thousand. Or they would say they just did not feel the need to answer the question exactly. They would say they will see you at three in the afternoon and never show up. That was a statement, you see, and not really a promise. You would see them three months later and they would apologize, and you would wonder if the reason they are giving is the truth. I came to the conclusion that people, even Christians, need to learn the need to tell the truth. I talked to clients about keeping their promises. “When you vowest a vow …” (Ecclesiastes 5). I showed them that it was better to say no, rather than to say yes when they meant no (Matthew 5:37). I encouraged them to refrain from making promises if they would not do everything reasonably within their power to keep those promises. One young lady stopped making promises. The fact is that people in church say things that vary from reality all of the time and I guess they just don’t think of it as lying. They say things that make them look spiritual and are not true. “I’ll call you tomorrow” sounds good but means nothing. “I talked to five people this week but none of them was really interested”. In a Sunday School class this gives the impression of having tried to witness, when it means I talked to at least five people. We used to say in our ministry that our job is to put ourselves out of work. We tell people we will see them for only a predetermined number of sessions and the idea is to motivate them to learn how to solve their own problems instead of becoming dependent on us. We hope they will internalize our methods, and this seems to work well. Yet it does not seem to put us out of business. People always have problems. But there is another kind of client that we like to see, and that is the type who wants to do God’s will and needs help setting up a ministry. A Sunday School teacher who wants to do a better job. A pastor who is discouraged and feels the need for a different approach. A newly-saved person who is wondering what the Lord will have them to do. One man is burdened now because he has just returned from Sweden, a prosperous socialistic country. It is a postmodern society, he says, where people see Christianity as a curiosity, a relic of the past, and laugh off any serious effort at evangelism. The brother would like to return to that country to do a ministry in evangelism, but he is not confident that he has the gift for it. Now we hope he will keep his word and come in for a gifts analysis and some training in line with his gift. We work with this type as well as those who have emotional or behavioral problems. But will he keep his word? Or was he just trying to impress me? There is no denying that Christians need to learn the importance of telling the truth. There are many Ananiases and many Sapphiras in the church today. With a lax attitude about integrity all around us, I think we have to be careful not to become a part of that lifestyle. It is so easy to pretend to be holy. But “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, … , false witness (Matthew 15:19). To tell the truth, we need to keep our heart with all diligence; for out of it are the real issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). |
||||||
113 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132568 | ||
My Dear Friend: I am constantly amazed at our ability as humans to simply miss the point. This exchange reminds me of an experience with a Seventh Day Adventist who came to my house as a member of my wife’s family and proceeded to try to convince me that I should join his sect. After hearing for at least the twentieth time that I had no interest in his tradition or any other human tradition, he thanked me for listening. Now, I try to be kind and patient and all, but the fact is I had not listened to his spiel at all. I have said here that I have no interest in any human tradition. Yet I read, “Thanks again for taking the time to think through -- or at least talk -- about these things”. I am left with the question: “What things?”. I had already decided a long time ago that denominations are a wrong, bad, unscriptural thing. I had felt no need to give any more thought to that. I can understand why there is a wish that “we could have been of greater assistance to one another”. But again, I had I have no felt need for assistance in this matter. I am certain everyone realizes when they come to this forum that the forum is not interested in having anyone to advocate any tradition. It says at the top: “Pushing one's denominational bias and engaging in debates, such as Calvinism/Arminianism, are strictly forbidden on this Forum”. But I understand how someone can keep edging toward that, and itching to do just that. The chance came when someone mentioned that conversion was gradual. It is apparent that one tradition or another does not agree with that. Instead of producing scripture to show that conversion is not gradual, one may choose instead to suggest that the person was wrong simply because they are in the wrong tradition, with the wrong set of rules of thumb and wrong principles of interpretation. Now, I suppose one might wish they would change that person’s mind, not only about their view of the time it takes to be converted, but about their whole tradition. They were supposed to examine the way they arrived at doctrines in general. And of course, one would recommend one’s own tradition because one thinks it is correct and using the correct way to arrive at doctrines. Someone else might point out that they arrive at their beliefs by considering all of scripture. But one who is eager to promote his tradition might try to suggest that he not use, say, narrative, to derive doctrine, because ones own tradition does not do that. Meanwhile, the person may not have done that at all, no even said they would do that, but one who is anxious to promote one’s tradition that one might have seen an opportunity, an opening. If one is trying to seize an opportunity to promote one’s tradition, it will be very difficult to do that on this forum. It might be said that one should not do that at all, since it is divisive and contrary to scripture, but that one should endeavor to keep the unity in the bond of peace, as saith the Scripture. But the very name one chooses for this forum may tend to do that. Listen, my friend, I think that many of us come to this or any other forum with an agenda. Mine happens to be to promote discussion of practical applications for the knowledge of the word which the participants here so clearly have. I try to convince them that knowledge alone is not enough, that we should be talking about ways to implement the word. More than that, I say we should be more careful to practice what we know, even here. We can practice kindness and peace and unity even as we discuss the scriptures. I have said repeatedly that I understand, because my own agenda has met resistance in light of the stated goal of this forum, to discuss the Scriptures. I think that each of us will have to take stock whether it is worth the pain and the pains to try to get our agenda adopted. I frankly have never understood what the goal is in getting a tradition accepted. I think the actual result is schism and tension in the body. I dare not suggest that a subconscious goal is to make one feel good to know that his point of view is accepted, especially if one is not completely comfortable with it. But the psychologist in me may lead me to say that. I guess that for myself there is no feeling better, because actually practicing the word of God can bring pain. I may well feel guilty for having led a particular someone into that. But I do that, and I believe that the God of peace will be with them (Philippians 4:9). So I am pleased to leave them with him. And it may be time to leave this with you as well. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. |
||||||
114 | Why was there fear here? | Acts 5:11 | Aixen7z4 | 132565 | ||
Your points are well taken, mommapbs. I suspected there might be another way to interpret the question “Why was there fear” and I think you covered it well. The apostles were held in high esteem (Acts 10:25-26) partly because of their ability to do miracles (Acts 14:10-14). Whether the people attributed to them the power of life and death, I am not sure. I think that the fear could have been the fear of God. Note Peter’s assertion that they had lied to God (Acts 5:3,4). As to whether A and P were judged, please note that there are several judgments, and the one that Jesus bore for us is only one. We, the saints of God (1 Corinthians 1:1,2) can also be judged and chastened of the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:32). Peter would say it is time that judgment begin in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17). There is a need for fear; and fear is not a bad thing, especially if, as you said, it is a fear of God. |
||||||
115 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132482 | ||
Hi Brad: Make a list of the attributes of God as they are revealed in the Bible. Then tell yourself that it is only what God has revealed and that it is possibly only an infinitesimal part of what God is, that he has revealed to us (Deuteronomy 29:29). Then tell yourself that the human mind is not able to grasp terms such as omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent, that we cannot fathom infinity and eternity. One of the attributes of God is that he is inscrutable. We will never understand him in those terms. As I said before, he has provided that we can understand him in terms of his kindness, his mercy, and such. That is the way he wants us to know him (Exodus 34; Jeremiah 9). God is over us. We cannot put him under our microscopes. On the other point, please understand that 2 Timothy 2:15 is not talking about an intellectual exercise at all. Though some translations use the term “Study”, the apostle is really asking us to be careful. It is not asking us to do an intellectual thing to gain knowledge but to pay close attention to our behavior. Of course, we have to do that in light of Scripture. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9)? “Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:25). Etc. But here again we find the need to match our knowledge with our practice. Even for the purposes of knowing him, we do not simply study. Knowing him is more than knowing about him. Knowing that he loves us, we decide that we should not henceforth live unto ourselves but unto him (2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Peter 4:2). We count all else but loss so we can get to kow him better (Philippians 3:7,8). This will cause us some difficulty, but we embrace the fellowship of his suffering (Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 2:21) and look forward to his resurrection (Roman 8:11; 2 Corinthians 4:11). We learn Christ by taking his yoke upon us (Matthew 11:29; Ephesians 4:20-32; Philippians 2:5, 12ff.). I think we understand that this knowledge (of him) is not an intellectual thing either, but a deeper understanding that comes from intimacy. We know him from the experience of walking with him (Revelation 3:20; John 14:21-23). |
||||||
116 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132462 | ||
The idea of evaluating all available traditions in order to accept or jettison them, I am not sure of. I am not sure that it is worth the time, or necessary. The other idea, that knowledge is necessary for obedience is so obvious; I am surprised we find the need to mention it. When we obey God, it is with an awareness of him and our relationship to him. It is also clear that we must understand what he has asked us to do. Thank God for thus revealing himself, our relationship with him, and his will for us, thus motivating us to obey him. When God gave the Ten Commandments, he began by saying who he is. “I am the Lord they God” (Exodus 20:2). The people knew who was giving the commandments. Though they did not have the literature and the scholarship with which to discuss him, God had given then a show with sound and light (Exodus 19) to give them an idea of his presence and nature. This came after the ten plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea and other examples of his love and power. They were aware of who he was that was commanding them, and that was enough. “And all the people answered together, and said, ‘All that the LORD hath spoken we will do’” (Exodus 19:8). It is consistently clear and obvious that God tells us who he is and who we are before he tells us what he wants. As you say, we see it in the epistles. We see it also in the Revelation. “These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand … ‘Repent, and do the first works’”. And the sheep hear his voice, and they follow him. What I find is the Lord saying, “Behold your God” Isaiah 40:9. He delights that we would seek him (Acts 17:27) and that we should know him (Jeremiah 9:24). He says we should know his will (Ephesians 5:17). He says, “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:17). “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein” (Revelation 1:3). What I do not find is the Lord saying, “Study your God”. I find it sad that people would be discussing evidences for the existence of God and strange the people would be trying to analyze him for his omniscience, his omnipresence, his omnipotence, etc. Notice that these characteristics are not the ones listed in Jeremiah 9 (loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness) or the ones in Exodus 34 (merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth). What is the difference? In one case, man is the scientist and God is the object. In the other case God is the sovereign and we are his subjects. What I do not find is the Lord saying to study his words. It is a fine point, because some equate searching the word with studying the word. Some scholars, incredibly, use “Study to shew thyself approved” to mean to make the word of God the object of intellectual exercises. Some believers read the word “Go” and they know what the Lord is saying, and they go. Some spend a lifetime studying words such as “Go” and they never get around to going. I never cease to be amazed at those who can analyze and explain the word “Love” to the nth degree, and yet they do not love. Their very presentations are characterized with so much pride and arrogance and aloofness, attitudes that one would not associate with love. The best experts in the word can also be so rude, so impatient, so dismissive, in their interactions. Yet they can explain the details of 1 Corinthians 13: that love is patient, love is kind. They do not show that they have learned to practice love. Yet they can explain why the simple expectations of our hearts are off base. Knowledge is necessary to obedience, but it seems that we can go too far in seeking knowledge, and forget to obey. God wants us to know him well enough to worship and to obey him. But it seems that it is the very awareness that God is too much for our minds that causes us to worship him. It may be, as Solomon says that study leaves us tired and too much study leaves us too tired to worship or obey. Yes, I know that some will say the more we understand God the more we will worship him. Some people never had a Bible. That includes Abraham back then, and the illiterate man in the jungle today. Some have only limited portions of the Bible in their language. Yet they have learned enough to respond to God. Thank God for the scriptures. We should read them. We should saturate our minds with them. We should seek the Lord and his will in them. But we can go too far. Some of us have gone to school to study the Bible. (It is not clear that we should have done that). But some have gone beyond that, to attach ourselves to particular schools of thought. That may be going too far. In so far as it fosters and maintains division within the church, it is clearly not desirable. The study of the word of God would have led to clear disobedience of the word. Surely they have studied the exhortation that there should be no schism in the body. |
||||||
117 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132408 | ||
And thank you for your kind offer of help. I trust it will be OK with you if I decline. There are many areas in which I need help. But another discussion of Reformed theology is not one of them. The idea of considering the traditions of men is already settled with me. Now, some men answer harshly, and I do my best to avoid that. The question: “Do you think you know everything?” is one I have heard before, and I am doing what I can here to forestall it. Let us just say I do not have a felt need for the traditions of men, and no felt need to discuss any of them. If it helps let me also say that I have read more books, done more analyses, written more papers, than I care now even to remember. Should I have studied the religions of the world? Should I have compared and contrasted the major denomination of Christendom? I do not know. Truly I have found that “Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). I have come to the conclusion that we are to “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”. Then you may ask why I visit this forum. Truly it is not to discuss the ideas of men or to learn from them. I am here to discover and to share ways to put the word of God into practice. My business is counseling, and I help people to do what the Bible says. My ministry is evangelism, and I seek in every way to preach the Gospel. At my age, that is about it for me. I seek to lay aside every weight so that I might run this race and finish it with joy, and theoretical discussions are, for me, a distraction. I learned some time ago that the ideas of men give rise to denominations and to division in the church, and that is not a good thing. They give rise to endless discussions with accompanying rancor and the result is further division. I have learned that I need to be one with every person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. I think we need to rely on the word of God alone, no other books, and the Holy Spirit. I realize there are others who think differently and I think we should not discuss it. As you can imagine, I think we can very well fulfill Deuteronomy 32:7 today. The days of old, and the years of many generations are covered in the Bible. Our father may very well be Abraham or Moses or Samuel or David or even Paul. He is the one who said “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). As for the elders, the apostles will do. They have told us (Hebrews 2:3,4; I john 1:3; etc.). We have always had to choose which tradition we would follow (Matthew 15:1-6;Galatians 1:14; etc.). I hope you find this response to be soft and gentle and loving, and that you can respond in kind (Colossians 4:6). I hope you will understand if I decide to stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught by our Apostle and High Priest, and by his apostles. The help I need is in practicing what they taught. |
||||||
118 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132268 | ||
Thank you for taking the time to respond. What I want to say is simple. I think we put ourselves at a disadvantage when we get tied up with traditions of men and intellectual schools of thought instead of simply opening our hearts to the Spirit of God and the word of God. One gets caught up in a world of ideas put forth by men (though they claim to have gotten them from God’s word) and it takes so much time and effort to disentangle ourselves from them. We might want to simply ignore those nets, while still being aware of them, and take ourselves directly into the presence of God. As I pointed out, Abraham had no Bible, and yet he was a friend of God. Moses wrote a part of the Bible, yet he did not wrestle with the words. He went to God. If we are not careful we may make the word the major thing and the Holy Spirit a minor factor, simply to help us as we focus on the word. May I suggest that the Holy Spirit is the more important factor. The word is a guide, yes, and a check. But happy is the man who finds confirmation is Scripture for the thoughts that God has given him inside, in his heart, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Of course, it happens the other way as well, that the Spirit shows us God’s will in his word and enlightens us as to the application in life. ‘The Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days”, saith the Lord, “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them”’. Please note that the Lord is not interested in what we know nearly so much as what we do (1 Corinthians 8:1). Imagine what God thinks of the fact we know so much about love but do not practice it. Love is the principal thing. Yet studious and educated people can be so unloving. On this forum, we operate in the world of words and ideas. If we looked out the window of this ivory tower unto the streets we would realize that most of the people, even the Christians, are unable to relate to the words we are using here: Soteriology, exegesis, hermeneutics. Nor is it because they are uninterested in the things of God. Most people have no principles of textual interpretation, except it is to simply take God at his word. They have not been to seminary or read the works of the scholars. They may not understand Greek or Hebrew, or even English grammar. But they understand that God wants us to love him and to love each others All of the word feeds into that, and that makes it all so simple. “An highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein”. I do not want to criticize or to pick at any point of doctrine because I think God knows we only hold to those points that divide us because of the company we keep. If we are uncomfortable when we think outside of that box, it may be that God is calling us to freedom from that box. There is tension between the flesh and the spirit (Galatians 5:17) but we are not encouraged to enflame this but keeping a constant eye on the traditions of men. I think it is these traditions that keep us arguing and moving so slowly to the truth. Forgive me if I am wrong in sensing this, but I do sense that you are tightly tied to one of those traditions. I guess, from your screen name, that you find your very identity in it. There is a tension then, because you are pregnant with the ideas of that tradition and would like to bring them forth. If I am correct, it would be very difficult for you to shake free of it, since you consider it the truth. But I am so impressed that in every group there are those who feel as strongly that their tradition is the truth. Instead of identifying the rules of interpretation in our different traditions, I would encourage all of us to shake loose of those traditions. Am I suggesting the impossible? That is what Paul did (Galatians 1:13-16; Philippians 3:8-14). Nor was he giving up the bad for the good. He was giving up the good for the better (Hebrews 7:19,22, etc.). And we might do ourselves good by following suit. That is all I mean to say here. “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing“. “Consider what I say; and may the Lord give you understanding in all things”. |
||||||
119 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132153 | ||
Hello DocTrinesofgrace: I am attracted by the spirit that you project, so I will chance an exchange or two with you. Please excuse my timidity because I have been lured and zapped before and while I take a stand for truth, I try to avoid unpleasantness. May I say that I think most people try to be comfortable most of the time. They choose traditions and denominations where they can be comfortable. If they are not comfortable they would like to transfer to another or else to stay home. Some people have been in a tradition for a long time (They may have been born into it or brought into it at a time of great need, similar to that of an infant) and it is very difficult to leave, therefore they find ways to accommodate to the norms of the group. May I suggest that a position like that is inimical to a search for truth since we are somewhat compromised by our need to please the people in our group. Many groups have rules of thumb or principles that hold them together. Examples are “The Bible alone and in its entirety”, “We speak when the Bible speaks and we are silent when it is silent”, “The Bible explains itself”, “We accept any experience that does not violate Scripture”, etc. We apply these principles, but we are unable to determine why we accepted them in the first place, except that they were chosen for us by the group. Why, for example, why does “the Bible alone” include commentaries on the Bible? Why does “the Bible in its entirety” not include the Apocrypha? Why can we not live on John alone? What if that was all we had? And what if we were like Abraham, with no Bible at all? What I mean to say is in three parts. First, we should not discount the social pressure to conform to our group, and the attendant limitations on our own integrity. Secondly, it is difficult to hold to the rules and principles as our minds search for truth. Thirdly, as I think you have stated, the norms of a religious group are not essentially different from those of any other social group. What is the alternative, then? Is it possible to acknowledge the existence of splinter groups but to give allegiance only to the Holy Spirit and to seek to fellowship as widely as possible with all Christians? That is what some of us have chosen to do, acknowledging all of the traditions while eschewing divisions in the body of Christ. What do you think? |
||||||
120 | is it wrong to wear fine clothing | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132151 | ||
There is an answer, in the church. Our hearts were touched, and we came together at His Hows to discuss this case, almost as if it had been referred to us. What would we do? We think we have the answer and we trust that everyone everywhere can consider it. It is our judgment that this burden should be carried, not by one person, not by one family, but by the local church. We would base that principally on Galatians 5:2. We believe that other passages apply: 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Acts 20:35, Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:6, etc. But we should not have left out Galatians 6:10. Luke 14:33 has been quoted, and it applies. But it does not stand in isolation from the rest of Scripture. In fact it goes very well with Matthew 19:29 and Mark 10:30. “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life”. We believe that the Holy Spirit showed the early church how this was to be operational zed. So we read in Acts Act 4:34 “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need”. We anticipate that many would object to that as a form of communal socialism. But we believe the idea can work even in a capitalistic society. There is enough wealth to go around. The church consists of a wide variety of people, some with too much and some with too little. Or do people have to give away their things. There are businessmen in the church who can offer employment to the needy, teachers who can train workers, retired people who can offer their expertise, men who are older and wiser who can give advice, and rule and oversee. In fact, it seems that churches should be geared and prepared for situations like this. As a large group they can solve a problem like this that is too much for one individual to bear. We would appreciate your comments. Let me add before ending this, that we have tried this solution, taking needy cases to the church the client came from, and we have not always gotten a positive response. It seems that most church have other priorities, including building programs and suchlike. We do not mean to be critical here, nor do we attempt to dictate to the churches. If you think our idea is worthwhile, please share how we might get it across to the churches. If it is not, please also show us why with scripture. Again, I hope you will not decline to help us by sharing ideas, as we continue our attempts to help people. That includes worthy cases such as the one we are discussing here. |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ] Next > Last [25] >> |