Results 101 - 120 of 645
|
||||||
Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
101 | Nudity/ Sin | 1 Thess 4:15 | JCrichton | 148551 | ||
Hi, Hank! I have very little knowledge about the physical appearance of birds... could you clarify this matter of this bird that apparently enjoys walking around naked... is the jay bird akin to that furless cat... I mean, is it born featherless or does it pluck them out to make some type of statement? Baring my ignorance... Angel |
||||||
102 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148546 | ||
Hi, Doc! I understand your concern... Salvation is gratis! There is nothing we can do to purify ourselves from our sins... though there is some form synergism associated with Salvation: abide in me! (John 15:1-6) We must be willful in our desire to receive God's Gift since God will not force anyone to obey and be Saved! The first chapter of John is a most wonderful reading... at the very beginning we find out that Jesus existed with God and that He is God, that He came to the world in a form similar to ours to rescue us from sin and to offer us the Grace of becoming sons and daughters of God... but even though this wonderful offering was made to all (beginning with the house of Israel) only those who Believe (accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the only one who brings Salvation), it is clearly revealed that God's Hand did not force His Will upon the world coercing man to accept His Gift... It is a beautiful scene... the Word becomes flesh so that those of us who chose to accept Him may have eternal life! Still, the point I was attempting to make is that we cannot claim to be citizens of a priestly kingdom, anointed saints of Christ, if we do not abide in Him! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
103 | We ran from a major city. | Acts | JCrichton | 148545 | ||
Hi! I read through the chapter sited... could not find the answer to your question... I tried an on-line Bible, using a variation on the text from your question (We ran away from a major city because of the man in charge...), no results! If you are still looking for that Biblical passage, could you expand on the question? (name of city, man in charge, etc.) God Bless! Angel |
||||||
104 | suicides and the bible | Gen 18:25 | JCrichton | 148469 | ||
"For what purpose will God awaken this criminal?" Hi! I did not mean to intrude on your post... but you are focusing on the wrong element... Jesus is the Resurrectin and the Life! Jesus did not promise the man on the cross next to Him that one day he would be forgiven... Jesus told him that on that very day he would be with Him in paradise! It is Jesus who cleanses us with His Blood... but don't forget that Scripture are not meant to limit God's Authority and Power... that man on the cross professed remorse and convicted himself a sinner while upholding Jesus as the Just (recognizing His innocence) and begging for mercy (recognizing His Authority over creation)... Jesus, the One who sees into the innermost of our beings, reconciled that man's transgressions with his profession of faith and his repentence (conviction of guilt)... that man received baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
105 | What happened to following 1 Cor.14 | Gal 3:3 | JCrichton | 148454 | ||
Hi, Tim! I met a few from a Brazilian/Spanish group "El Camino" or "The Way" they too were cultish... rather than speaking on the original "Way," their motivational speakers spoke about all the things they were accomplishing (building churches, radio towers, and other success stories), they made it all spritual by addiding that they followed "el Camino!" (Funny, was there not some vehicle called el camino?) If we remove Christ from the pulpits and our lives... the way is basically emptied of Grace and Hope! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
106 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148453 | ||
Hi, Doc! I did not say nor implied that we on our own can regenerate our sinful state... what I am saying is that in Christ we are called to be holy and that we must abide in Him (obey Him) in order to become holy and to be counted amongst His saints! Just to cite an example... in North America there are many who, through birth or oath, are said to be "Americans..." yet, deep in their hearts, their allegiance is to their birth lands or their forefather's birth lands... As Christians, we cannot be as double-minded... He will spit us out! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
107 | Masturbation used to expel sexual urge? | Bible general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 145530 | ||
Hi! Glad to be of help! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
108 | found another opinion which may be wrong | Joshua | JCrichton | 145529 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! Excellent testimony! It is Jesus who binds His followers, not fate, the stars or some other mumbo jumbo! May our Lord continue blessing your home with love, joy, and harmony! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
109 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145528 | ||
Hi, Tim! Point 1: I agree with you completely! Point 2: I disagree with your "either or" conclusion... I have simply stated that much of the argument for Judas' damnation does not take into consideration much of the actual experience... I agree with your statement on God's mercy and Judas possible demise... yet, this is not how it has been expressed on this thread... the exposition has been that God destined Judas to fail than condemned him for it! I sought to introduce all the factors and the possibility that since Judas was destined to perform a horrific part in the Salvific Plan, God's Mercy would extend to him in accordance to his powerlessness when it came to fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus' betrayal! But, as you pointed out, not everyone is able to see (observe) Judas from my perspective! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
110 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145488 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! I understand the argument... however people forget the fact that not one of the twelve had the spiritual acumen to see beyond the physicality of the moment... Judas, specially, had little if any true faith... Judas was remorseful and he initiated a restoration (buy back) of the Innocent Man... Judas' dealings was not in an obscure sector of town; he dealt directly with the chief priests and elders: 3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That's your responsibility.” 5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5) I have no knowledge of the Greek/Hebrew original texts so I cannot contest anything dealing with precise translations... however, it would seem implausible that a nobody like Judas would be allow to come close to the Holy of holies--at best, the temple guards would be in dereliction of duties; at worst, the chief priests and the elders would be guilty of conducting a murderous affair inside/about the Holy of holies! ...either way, I see Judas' act as that of impotence and irreconcilable guilt: he did all that he could do, yet he could not undo his error! Had Judas taken the ill-gotten silver and splurge on himself; then, coming out of the high (no not suggesting that he was using drugs--I am speaking metaphorically), attempt to negociate Christ's release with monies he did not have (the failure would have been totally his), then I would find that his feelings of regret were due to the short-lived meriment that the silver offered him, not to his realization that Jesus as Innocent... there would be no heartfelt repentance... there would be no actual anguish in his heart, mind and spirit... But Judas did not act like someone coming out of a drug-induced high--promising everyone that he/she would never do it again while hoping to lower anyone's guard enough to steal, beg or borrow the money for the very next high! Judas woke up, reached for those who were supposed to be Israel's spiritual leaders, declared that Jesus was innocent, sought to purchase His freedom (life) back... since he was not successful, he did not take the silver and drowned himself in alcohol, other drugs or sexual orgies... in his desperation, he rejected the ill-gained silver by throwing it at his enablers and finding that disposing of the silver was not enough, he killed himself. We can choose to interprete Scripture in a manner that denies Judas God's Mercy or we can choose to believe that God's Mercy knows no bounds and allow God, the only One who truly saw into Judas' heart and spirit, to determine his guilt or restoration! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
111 | N.A. or not? | Mark 4:20 | JCrichton | 145487 | ||
Hi, prayon! The problem is that many profess but few stand... Jesus said that anyone who would be ashamed of Him in front of man, He would be ashamed of him/her in front of His Father, in Heaven (Mark 8:38)... however, many wish to be "politically correct" and they avoid any issue that would testify that they are of Christ... We are not called by Jesus to shove testimonials or Scripture down anyone's throat... so we must be amiable in the way we present ourselves... this means that we must always gauge the environment/person that we are engaging in order to not create chaos/discord instead of enlightenment and hope! ...and I do not worry about getting Him into the conversation... for every Christian, this is nothing more than second nature... it is like getting up in the morning (we do not think about what to do, we simple go through a sequence of events that requires little or no alteration); Jesus is not something we put on but something we put in... we carry Him along wherever we go! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
112 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145441 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I agree with your statement completely! We are all found in various levels of knowledge and understanding (spiritually)... spiritual maturity comes with dependence and Faith in Christ... our confidence is that He is our Salvation! My concern is that much too many times we find people who profess to be "saved" and through their actions they are in complete contradiction of their statement of faith! Too many times these are the models for many who seek to limit their responsibility in Christ... As you noted, many times we are not able to assist others during church service/meetings... our task, I believe, is to be ready, as Jesus commanded us, to testify to anyone anywhere (supermarket, office, school, restaurant, road, while visiting friends and relatives, on-line, while shopping, while answering/screening our calls); the best way is to simply convey the message (no heavy preaching, no patronizing, no issuing of pamphlets... heavy listening, heavy determination to assist/guide/teach; heavy life of prayer!)... One thing to keep in mind... our responsibility is not to convert people... as Christ's messengers our obligation is to bring to others the Good News! Sometimes... it seems that there is little that I am able to accomplish... then I meet someone and we end up speaking about the Lord for hours or I see an elderly woman smile that confident smile that means that we are walking the path together or someone tells me of answered prayer! I believe that if you look back you will find that you are guiding many onto the Path... sometimes a simple joyous "We are starting/involved with a Bible study group," may be all that you hear... you may never know how many people you have reached through one person that you have assisted/brought to Christ! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
113 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145440 | ||
Hi, kalos! Do you see what we do (humanity)? Notice how we love to crucify others: ""...with remorse [with little more than a selfish dread of the consequences] he (Judah) brought back the thirty pieces of silver" Who was that person who was there when Judas return the coins? How intimate must he have known Judas to have been able to read his mind and heart or have had a direct confession by Judas... one that he could hold near his heart and not reveal till hundreds of years later! This is exactly why Scripture tells us that God's Way is not our ways! This is exactly why Jesus tells us that He gives us His peace, not the peace of the world! This is why Jesus cautioned that we would be judged with the same measure as we judge others! And this is why Jesus commanded us to have mercy and to forgive so that our Father in Heaven would have mercy and forgive us! ""Judas felt the sting of his own guilt, but this was not genuine repentance. There is a godly sorrow that leads to repentance, but Judas' remorse was of a different kind, as demonstrated by his suicide" Isn't if wonderful... when we can come to a conclusion based on what some does not know... how we can determine the faith and spirituality of others... how we can speak for God in matters of Mercy and Salvation? Nothing in Scripture limits God! Our finite understanding always pushes us to think and rationalize in human terms... yet, we tend to use a faulty balance when we need to accomodate and appease our own conscience or those who we seek to please! We even blind ourselves to utter facts: Judas was destined by God to betray Jesus, just as Peter was destined to deny Him three times! Comparing Peter's and Judas' standings (faith, sincerity of purpose, degree of transgression, emotional and spiritual capacity, realization of guilt and self-condemnation...) is like comparing a Christian to a non-Christian: they both have issues; yet, neither is able to understand the other's perspective! We are quick to seek retribution for Judas' betrayal of Jesus... yet we deny and betray daily... and some of us do not even want to be held accountable for our transgressions! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
114 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145438 | ||
Hi, Kalos! Again, Faraoh was made blind to God's Power... this did not happen because he was a greater sinner than any of the other pagan kings... this happened because he happened to be the king enslaving Israel at the appointed time of God's deliverance! In the same manner, Judas was Jesus' betrayer not because he had the greatest and deepest sins in Israel, but simply because he was destined by God to initiate Jesus' crucifixion... Many choose to believe that Judas had complete control in what he did or that there was no need for him to betray Jesus because the high priest and the others would eventually manage to "get" Jesus... God's Plan does not count on man's intercession... it is the other way around: God intercedes in order that His Divine Plan comes to terms! Scriptures are beautiful when used properly, closing salvation on Judas is not a factor of Scripture for Jesus was clear that only one sin would not be forgiven of man and He asked the Father to forgive those who would crucify Him! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
115 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145435 | ||
Hi, kalos! You have missed the argument completely! Not one of the twelve showed any "genuine saving faith." Once Jesus stopped Peter from using violence as a deterrant to His arrest, fear blinded their minds and hearts and they all fled Jesus side (including the young man who was wearing nothing but a sheet and fled completely naked when he faced the danger of being held along with Jesus)... We can apply all of our hindsight and claim that we would have never left Jesus' side... that we would have had the valor and resolve to face His captors... but had we truly been there, which one of us would not have fear death, which one of us would not have denied Jesus, which one of us would have had the strength to fight God and refuse his commission to betray Jesus? We are so permissive and conforming that we seek to excuse almost every single behavior (suicide is OK; divorce is OK; abortion is our right; homosexuality is fine...) while still claiming to serve Christ... Judas did not have our advantage: he did not have our ability to chose to serve Jesus, our Lord and God! Further, I urge you to rethink God's Mercy and His ability to choose to be Merciful... He is not obliged to follow any prescribed formula... God is the Author of Love and Mercy! He is free to have mercy on whom He pleases! (Romans 9:15) God Bless! Angel God Bless! Angel |
||||||
116 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145430 | ||
Hi, Doc! We know that God does not want to cause us harm nor that any harm befall us... yet, Yahweh demanded that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac, through whom the promise given would be fulfilled... since we have a fantastic 20/20 vision into the actual events, we are in a superior position than Abraham when assessing God's intent for Isaac... but Abraham could only trust in God; he understood that God could have brought Isaac back to life or simply intercede and prevent him from carrying out his labor... Judas, as much as he tried, did not have Abraham's faith nor his understanding of God (1 Corinthians 2:8); since it is evident that God wants us all to live rather than die, Judas' suicide could have had some kind of redemptive merit! Please, understand that I am not claiming that anything that we do could secure us our salvation... there is no Christian alive that could claim that by committing suicide he/she is going to the Father! What I am saying is that Judas had as much choice in the matter of betraying Jesus as Peter had in pronouncing that third and final denial of Jesus! This combined with the fact that not one of the twelve (or any of the peripheral disciples) had the spiritual nor emotional fortitute to stay by Jesus side when He was arrested... Scripture speaks of one disciple tha followed Jesus, but even he would not have been so bold if he did not have some familiarity with at least some in the high priest's household... Given all these factors and the fact that God's Way is different from ours... I am suggesting that God's Rule is beyond our grasps (Romans 9:15) and that He could have allotted Judas redemption through his desperate act of remorse and self-conviction! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
117 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145429 | ||
Hi, Doc! We know that God does not want to cause us harm nor that any harm befall us... yet, Yahweh demanded that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac, through whom the promise given would be fulfilled... since we have a fantastic 20/20 vision into the actual events, we are in a superior position than Abraham when assessing God's intent for Isaac... but Abraham could only trust in God; he understood that God could have brought Isaac back to life or simply intercede and prevent him from carrying out his labor... Judas, as much as he tried, did not have Abraham's faith nor his understanding of God (1 Corinthians 2:8); since it is evident that God wants us all to live rather than die, Judas' suicide could have had some kind of redemptive merit! Please, understand that I am not claiming that anything that we do could secure us our salvation... there is no Christian alive that could claim that by committing suicide he/she is going to the Father! What I am saying is that Judas had as much choice in the matter of betraying Jesus as Peter had in pronouncing that third and final denial of Jesus! This combined with the fact that not one of the twelve (or any of the peripheral disciples) had the spiritual nor emotional fortitute to stay by Jesus side when He was arrested... Scripture speaks of one disciple tha followed Jesus, but even he would not have been so bold if he did not have some familiarity with at least some in the high priest's household... Given all these factors and the fact that God's Way is different from ours... I am suggesting that God's Rule is beyond our grasps (Romans 9:15) and that He could have allotted Judas redemption through his desperate act of remorse and self-conviction! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
118 | N.A. or not? | Mark 4:20 | JCrichton | 145421 | ||
Hi, prayon! That is an excellent way in which God could be introduced... the Holy Spirit may move others (perhaps those who are thirsty for the true "Freedom") and if not within the larger group a smaller group could gather to pray together or study Scriptures... God Bless! Angel |
||||||
119 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145375 | ||
Part 3 of 3 “You note well that we own a guarantee of salvation which we have done nothing to merit! The fact is, we cannot merit salvation.” You misunderstand me! The fact that we cannot do anything to merit Salvation should be cause enough to keep us from boasting about being saved! Not once in Scripture do we find anyone boasting about being saved! They boast about Christ! They boast about God’s Mercy! They boast about God’s Love! It is due to our liberal notions that we seek security instead of obedience; liberty instead of accountability, complacency instead of abstinence, rebelliousness instead of submission! “I am born again” or “I am saved” or “we have eternal salvation…” it all has an egocentric sound, doesn’t it? Even though we profess one thing, we behave contrary to our own profession! Being born again is not an excuse to sin, and it should never be used as a means to equate ourselves to God (free of sin) or to believe that we are above damnation when we purposefully choose to sin and to remain in a sinful state! It is not that we are saved! It is that He Saved us! As Paul attests, He did not purchase us so that we should summit ourselves to the old nature that is contrary to the Holy Spirit and can only produce death! (1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) “So, admonish us, but we do not believe you that we can merit salvation.” Again, I admonish all, not to live secure in the understanding that we can sin because we are “saved” or “born again!” And, I clarify that not once have I claimed salvation due to works; not once have I stated that we merit salvation; and, not once did Christ say that He is the resurrection and the life so all are saved! I admonish all to search the Holy Scripture for not once does it state that “once saved always saved” so eat, drink and be merry! Jesus clearly warns that those who are double-minded cannot be His disciples (Luke 9:62; Revelation 3:16)… though it is true that there are some Scriptural passages that seem to guarantee “once saved always saved,” even Jesus warned that not all who claim to abide in Him do (Matthew 7:21-27, Luke 6:46); further, He also warned that the Word did not save all (Matthew 13:18-43; John 3:14-21)… notice, though, that it is not the Word that cannot save, rather is man who determines that he rather stay in darkness than to enter into the Light! “But please do not insist on condemning us, because God may ask you who are you (See Romans 8:33,34).” I insist in that we abide in Christ and be saved, rather than rely on “special commendations” to grant ourselves salvation! Christ warns that it is not He who Judges, it is the Word that Judges. Who am I to condemn anyone? (John 12:46-49) But, as a servant of Christ, I cannot sit idle awaiting to see if others decide to abide in Christ or continue in their own wisdom! It is not in vain that Scripture warns that it is better to rely on Yahweh than to trust in human beings… Peter was always quick to run to Jesus, yet, when facing the unknown, while walking on water, instead of keeping his eye (Faith) on Jesus he trusted his own knowledge of the environment (wind, etc.)… the split second he hesitated… he began to sink! (Matthew 14:23-31) “But please leave us the right to know that we are saved.” This has never been my argument! My argument is that we are saved by Jesus and in Jesus… that once we begin our lives in Jesus it is our obligation to continue in Him, to abide in Him, to humble ourselves to Him, to know Him as our Salvation, to not excuse our turning back to sin/sinful life with the “saved” card--rejecting Christ (disobeying His Command) cannot be seen as a result of having a “guaranteed salvation!” Please, rely on Jesus, He is the Resurrection and Life! And we must understand that Believing in Him does not mean knowing Scripture (Satan and his angels know Scripture, yet they do not submit to God‘s Authority)… to Believe in Jesus is to OBEY HIM--this of course is explained by Him: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) “To the extent that we do sin after we are saved, please correct us...” This is precisely my argument! I am not seeking to limit Salvation (God’s ability and willingness to save us)… I am simply concern with the doctrine that blinds us by offering “Christians” total and automatic exoneration from sin… our Salvation is guaranteed by Christ but we are not guaranteed a life of sin in Christ! Abiding in Christ can never validate disobedience and rebelliousness! As John said: if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) God Bless! Angel |
||||||
120 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145374 | ||
Part 2 of 3 “We are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) created in Christ Jesus” Sadly Scriptural passages as the above are taken to their extreme value while rejecting Christ’s own words when He decisively rejects those who have become so adapt that they can perform great feats in “His Name” even though their hearts and spirits are away from God (they lack humility, charity, compassion…); Jesus’ words are quickly excused as pertaining to non-believers or people passing as Christians--Jesus, of course, never stated: “this refers to the unbelievers and the charlatans…” He admonished Israel and taught His disciples… He was never ambiguous about His words even when His own disciples would find them hard to stomach! (John 6:53-66) When Jesus spoke about divorce, He did not expect His disciples to choose obey or reject His Word… as with everything else, He Commanded them to do what He said… not to try to do their best, not to chose an alternative interpretation! “But I encourage you to consider that he was speaking of being removed from a place of service. ” So you are saying that the average person can opt to not abide in Christ and all that is lost is a place of ministry? You truly believe in once “saved” you can do as please without fear of damnation? I missed that parable, where did Jesus teach that (reject me or disobey me or ignore me… it’s OK!)? “It may involve being removed from this life (1 Corinthians 11:30). Yet the soul that trusts in Jesus will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15).” So you mean to say that if I opt to continue a life of sin, since I’m saved, the worst that could happen is that my number will be called prematurely or I wont be able to hold a place of leadership in the afterlife? “Come to him, admit that we are sinners, ask him to change us, and he does.” This sound excellent! But when did I say different? I think that there’s a great misunderstanding… the iniquity that these people (Matthew 7:21-27) are being charged with is not believing in Jesus, not humbling themselves to abide in Him, not accepting their sins and confessing them… rather, like the Masters of the Law, they charged everyone else and used prepackaged language to claim their status as “saved” (born of Abraham or of knowing the Law!)… These people externalize Christ but continue to dwell in their old nature! Jesus sees into the core of their being and rejects them because He is not swayed by outwardly appearance--wondrous signs, in their case! “All those good works come after salvation.” That sounds very sound! But how can callously returning to sin be a product of “salvation?” How can God change us, only to grant us free and clear sin-full life? How can an “eternally saved” person disobey Christ Commandment? How does adultery or fornication, serving the creature rather than the Creator, demonstrate that a person has eternal life?: We obey Christ because we Believe. We humble ourselves to God because we Believe. We repent from our sin because it is His way or the fire way! We seek to abide in Him because He Commands us to abide in Him! As disciples of Christ, our goal is not to seek to excuse our behavior by interpreting Scripture in a manner that conforms to our desired mold… as disciples of Christ we are to have a greater justice/responsibility than the Pharisees and Sadducees who circumvented the Law whenever it was convenient/profitable! (Matthew 5:20) It is not our attempt to be humble or to love our enemies or one another that demonstrates that we are abiding in Christ…. it is doing it that demonstrates that we are abiding in Christ (Matthew 7:17)… claiming that we are of the Light and yet living in darkness is evident testimony that our statement is flawed! (1 John 2:10) |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ] Next > Last [33] >> |