Results 141 - 160 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
141 | salvation for demons? | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140615 | ||
Hi, lionheart! This is the beauty of studying Scripture... we can discover the Holy Spirit working the Word in us... and even when we err because we rush things, as Peter always did when it came to Jesus, we can still glorify God in our humility and our desire to be in Jesus! God Bless! Your brother in Christ! Angel |
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142 | salvation for demons? | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140613 | ||
Hi! While it is true that a spirit cannot be reborn into a spirit, Jesus' death, in the flesh, rescued all of humanity (John 1:12-13) from spiritual death... Satan and the fallen angels reject God--there is no salvation for them... the same God that can cleanse us of our sin has the power to cleanse the spirits (notice the power of the dragon who is by far less than God--Revelation 13:2-4, 12-15; clearly the Creator has much greater power than the creature!)... but even those who are born of the flesh can choose to not be regenerated (Revelation 16:8-11)... though God has the Power to Save all of humanity, we (humanity) can (and do) reject Salvation: Christ! Our ascension is into spiritual beings somewhat like the angels (Matthew 22:29-30), the angels are already spiritual beings... yet they are not created in God's image nor is God's Spirit dwelling in them (John 14:16-17)... all these factors, of course, do not negate God's Mercy nor Power... the only thing that does negate God's Mercy and Power is a rebellios and unrepentant heart... our will must acquiesce to God's... the fallen angels refused!... notice that in God the past, present, and future are complete (Acts 15:18)... this is why Christ is able to state that the prince of this world (and his minions with him) has been Judged! Salvation is also complete (all the players are set) and humanity has been chosen, in Jesus. This of course does not mean that we are all automatically saved... Jesus made that quite clear (John 12:46-48; 11:25-26; 3:17-21)... God Bless! Angel |
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143 | compasionate God versus vengeful God | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140603 | ||
Hi, Janae! I guess I must be more specific when writing on this forum... when it comes to Salvation I personally rule out animals, things, and demonic creatures... I, personally, do not find any arguments in Scripture to consider any creature other than humanity as candidate for Salvation... so I offer my apologies for not being completely clear! Man (this term is inclusive of male, female and children), though many choose not to accept it, is God's creation... ergo creatures... only through God's Grace are we elevated to the level of children of God. (John 1:10-13) "demons, they do not receive the offer, for they are already being sent to the lake of fire for their rebellion." ...on this, I agree with you completely... though we have not experienced the Second Coming and the Final Judgment, Jesus crearly states that the prince of this world (Satan) has already been Judged (John 16:11) and Scripture tells us of Satan's and his minion's demise (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 3:8; Jude 1:6; Revelation 19:20; 20:9-10). God Bless! Angel |
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144 | Why did Jesus pray to God? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 140391 | ||
Hi! Why did the Word, who is God, became incarnate? Read through the Gosples... you will find Jesus telling us that He is offering an example: He is the friend that died for His friends and He invites us to be just as giving! When Jesus meets with John the Baptist John clearly understands His gesture and attempts to redirect Jesus (it is I that should be baptized by you); yet Jesus reminds John that He came to fulfill the Scripture (1 Peter 2:21-24)... and it is not as some suggest that Jesus is some type of glorified prophet... He is God (Philippians 2:5-11), the God who came to be among His people as Promised in the prophets. (Isaiah 7:14; and Jeremiah 1:33-34; 32:37-40; Ezekiel 37:26-38--compare these last three passages with John 14:16-17, 23, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15) Please humble your heart and spirit to God so that the Holy Spirit may enlighten you and bring you to the fulness of Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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145 | Is Jesus was another of God's tests? | John 1:1 | JCrichton | 140390 | ||
Hi! Your is a most intriging question! I hardly have an answer that can satisfy it! I am not sure of your familiarity with Scripture (specifically the Old Testament)... During the Old Covenant Yahweh, the Person of God who we have come to know as the Father, is the Person which God chose to reveal Himself to Israel... but even then, we find several occasions where we find the Second or Third Person acting either as the Father or in conjunction with the Father... Though it was Yahweh, the Father, accompanied Israel on its trek, Paul reveals to us that the rock (Rock) that supplied the life-giving water to the Hebrews is Jesus! We also find several passages, in the New Testament, where the words which had been accredited to the Father are accredited to the Holy Spirit! Then there are the titles... many of the titles which are exclusively ascribed to the Father... are also attributed to the Son; Lord, Savior, Father, God, the first and last, Alpha and Omega... these are both owned by the Father and the Son! ...when reading the Old Testament we find God's preocupation with teaching Israel not to blaspheme His Name under the penalty of death... in the New Testament, Jesus transfers this command to the Holy Spirit--all sins are forgiven man, except blaspheming against the Holy Spirit! Again, I refer you to my previous post... you cannot separate the the Son from the Father: they abide in each other! How can you worship the Father without worshipping the Son? How can you worship at all if you do not worship in the Holy Spirit! (Romans 1:1-7; 9:1; 14:17-18; 15:16; Jude 1:20-21) John tells us that to deny the Son is to deny the Father and to receive (live in/abide in) the Father is to receive the Son! (1 John 2:22-24) Know then that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God! Rejection of any of these three Divine Persons, revealed to us in Scripture, is rejection of God! God Bless! Angel |
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146 | compasionate God versus vengeful God | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140387 | ||
Hi, Steve! I do not believe that Peter is speaking of a physical prison--my posts do not claim/infer that! When Peter speaks about the spirits he is speaking about those who died under the Old Covenant and did not know Jesus (remember that to God our physical death is not the end of existence!)... "The spirits now in prison are angels who had left their proper place (Jude 6). It's not talking about people." I cannot see how you can come to such conclusions... the angels that rebelled are as the Ancient Serpent (Satan), they refuse to humble themselves to God (Revelation 12:3-4, 7-9, 12). These angels were not misguided and lacking understanding! These angels fought against God and, once defeated, they still refused to humble themselves... rather, they brough the assault to the weakest members of God's realm: humanity! Peter, in 1 Peter 3:18-20, 4:6, is speaking on the fulfillment of Jesus' Salvation offered to all the creatures of God; these spirits are those who died not truly cognizant of God's Promise (Salvation in Christ Jesus). God Bless! Angel |
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147 | Holy Spirit or holy spirit? What is it? | Acts 4:24 | JCrichton | 140216 | ||
Hi, Ray! I can only tell you that I read through this post with contentment and a broad smile both on my lips and on my heart! Romans 14:17-18 seemed to have been in the back of our minds... serving Christ in the (justice and) joy of the Holy Spirit... that is what pleases God! The opposing references of joy (the Magi and those who receive the Word with joy) are excellent examples of serving God in the joy of the Holy Spirit... the Magi could barely contain themselves as they sought the newborn King... they were responsive to the Holy Spirit that guided them through their familirity with astrological science... they were ignorant of much but still they trusted and followed His star! In contrast, there is that joy of the believers and the world that is based on a direct temporal experience... once the novelty dies down... once the adversities or the revelry kicks in... human intellect and wisdom, being outmatched, surrenders and refuses to continue the journey... left to our own devise, we lose the joy brought to us by the Holy Spirit! The Magi are an excellent example of reliance on God's Wisdom... they had been duped by Herod, but they were still in the "joy" and they obeyed without question, thus helping to protect the Child from the dragon (Revelation 12:13-16)... You are correct, Matthew 13:15 deals with a direct function within God's Salvific Plan... it was necessary that Israel should miss out on that joy of the Holy Spirit so that the rest of the world (those who were not God's people) would be brought onto the fold! (Romans 9:25-26) Yet, since this joy comes to us from God, Israel still has hope and it will be called back into that same fold where the two people would find joy! (Ephesians 2:14-18) The joy being revealed in Matthew 3:16-17, reminds me of the two old folks, the old guard, that were witnesses to the Child: Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:22-38)... their joy was complete as they were granted their most dearest desire: to witness the Coming of the Lord! "the Holy Spirit wishes to bring us enlightenment as well as joy," This is exactly what I understand! Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come to be with us and in us! He is the One given the task to convict man of all Truth! He is the One who is to build and guide the Church (John 14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15)... Jesus wanted us to abound in His knowledge so that His joy would be our joy and so that our joy would be complete (John 15:11): the Holy Spirit is that joy: the knowledge of God! (Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22) God Bless! Angel |
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148 | compasionate God versus vengeful God | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140214 | ||
Hi, Steve! So Peter has a revelation that Christ is preaching to those spirit in prison (men and women) through the various disciples... and that those people in prison are caught up with erroneous beliefs that survived the flood when only Noah and his direct offsprings and their mates were saved? So who passed on these erroneous values, was not all life outside of the ark terminated? God Bless! Angel |
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149 | old testament salvation | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140213 | ||
Hi! If the people of Isreal and the pagan world around them were cognizant of God's Word (Jesus), is Paul erring when he states the opposite? (Ephesians 3:1-12) If the New Covenant was already in place from the very beginning and revealed in its fullness why would Christ preach in the Spirit to those who had died under the Old Covenant? (1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6) Worshipping... Able began worshipping and offering sacrifice hundreds of years before God was to establish a mandate... it was only after the Exodus of the sons of Jacob (Israel) that commands were given to Moses... this is exactly part of God's Mysterious Way... we are allowed to know only partially (the who, what, when, how, why); Abel did not question why he had such impulse, he simply obeyed! Cain, the older brother--by such status he should have been more receptive--did not offer Yahweh the best because it was not in his heart! These were the very first two offsprings of Adam and Eve, yet the first born rejected God! And in His Divine Mercy God did not stike him down, even after the blood of Abel called out for Justice! We can read the Bible in its entirety and we will never find the slightest clue as to the inner workings of God--only the Holy Spirit knows God's completely! So we must simply accept that God's Wisdom, Mercy, Love is the intricate lubricant in His Divine Design... a Design that allows from the simplest of people to the most wretched man to find Salvation! Yet this is God's Gift... it is not found in a Biblical formula for God is not moved by material values... it is found in humble obedience and Faith! ...Jonah... the people of Israel had been scattered throughout the world during the various occupations and expatriations that they experience... so it is very probable that Jonah was sent out to search for the sheep that had gone astray... is there any conclusive proof that Ninive (which some do not believe to be an actual historical city) was occupied by only pagans... are there any records that would tells us that there were no Jews found there during Jonah's visit? Jesus Himself tells us that He did not come to the Gentiles... not because He did not come to Save all who would believe (there are various examples in the Gospels of those who were not Jews and were cured/saved by Jesus)... but because the Design was set: the Messiah was promised to the people of Israel; He had to come to them and they had to reject Him in order to have God's prophecies about Israel come to fruition (not my people will be called my people...). " I feel that the point was that Abraham looked forward to his Redeemer coming into the word as the Seed of a woman and as the Seed that would bless the whole world (Gal 3:8,16)." This would be true of all the Patriarchs... it was revealed to Moses that there would come a Prophet like himself onto Israel... Moses knew that this Prophet surpassed him in every way... but the Jews based their "religiosity" on being descendants of Abraham... Jesus made it clear to them that He was God by allowing them to know that Abraham (the person whom they though was their all--base, fountain, core...) awaited His Coming and that it was revealed to him and that He saw Jesus and was glad (Genesis 14:18-20)... Jesus made it clear that if they truly were obedient to Abraham, they would humble themselves to Jesus and believe! "Luk 4:26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow." I have never stated that God is limited to work within the confines of Scripture of even a preordained format (the first-born rights and blessings, etc.)... we know that throughout Scripture God has chosen people to perform tasks that were exclusively delegated to a select few... He has chosen one individual over another even before they were conceived! So it is not surprising that God would use a non-Isrealite to bring about the fulfillment of His Design! Yet, to argue that the pagans were part of God's chosen people and that the prophets that visited Israel had the dual job of preaching and revealing the same to the pagan world... it simply would be missing the whole experience of the Old Testament! The same could be said about God's Salvific Plan... if we apply the strictness of the text much of the pagan world would have died in ignorance yet under accountability... thanks be to the Lord that His Way is different than ours! (Colossians 1:19-29)! Remember Jesus' conversation of the Samaritan woman... noticed how He was aware that they worshipped not knowing God? (John 4:22) Yet, He clarified that the New Covenant was at hand, that the new economy had arriaved and all would be required to worship in spirit and truth! (John 4:23-24)... It is in the Spirit that we are Saved! God Bless! Angel |
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150 | Holy Spirit or holy spirit? What is it? | Acts 4:24 | JCrichton | 140112 | ||
Hi, Ray! I think that Jesus said it best when He stated that man speaks from the abundance of the heart! I've known of people who go out into the mountains seeking a personal retreat, seeking to confine the world and open themselves to God... not everyone finds such devotion practical... I've known of people who confess to be atheists or even satanic worshippers... when facing hardships or perceived/impending danger they have asked for a Bible, Bible Study, prayers or a combination of all three; some would say that they will never know God... Again I fall back on Christ's teachings: a) the poor widow's offer being pleasing God rather than many others who were, on the surface, generous givers (Matthew 12:41-44), and b) the repentant publican who humbled himself to God rather than boast about his credentials (Luke 18:10-14)... So if we err by emphasizing God's Authority and Divinity, we err because we seek to serve Him and the Holy Spirit will bring us enlightenment or joy or both! God Bless (I emphasize "Bless" because He does! It is His Will that we come to the fulness of His Grace: Christ Jesus!) Angel |
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151 | compasionate God versus vengeful God | Lev 18:25 | JCrichton | 140106 | ||
Hi, Steve! So are you saying that Jesus went to free the spirit of the people that died after His own death not the ones that died during the ancient times (as per Scripture during Noah's time)? And, are you also saying that the Lord chose Israel and separated them from the pagan world but that He kept a secret covenant with the pagans so that they too were part of His promise? God Bless! Angel |
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152 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 140105 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! You are quite correct when you state that John 3:16 is clearly understood by all... have you noticed several television shows and even movies using Scriptures (specifically John 3:16)... have you met some of the people that read from that particular Biblical passage that everyone will be saved no matter what?--true it is being reinforced by hollow wood... but still many people read Scripture and they accept the popular interpretation... Most Jehovah Witnesses that I've met usually refer me to what I can only surmise is their most favorite passage: "...the Father is greater than I..." To them this is profound proof that Jesus is not God because He is less than God, a subservient creature... Another one that comes close to this one is Jesus' statement that "...only the Father knows..." this, in reference to the final day an hour! Clearly anyone reading Scripture would come to the same conclusion as they: Jesus is less than God (therefore not God), and Jesus does not know all (limited; therefore not God)! Reading Scripture and divorcing Scripture from the rest of the Bible while abiding in human intellect will get us a long trip on a very short path! If we rely on human wisdom to discern God's Design we will never know God! (Romans 8:6; 11:33; 1 Corinthians 11:7-31) God Bless! Angel |
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153 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 140061 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! ...you've either misread my statement or you are inferring that by reading the Holy Scripture we automatically humble ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow His guidance to lead us into each reading... I have reference Scripture that tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who reveals all truth! But, as Jesus stated, the world cannot see Him nor receive Him because they do not believe... so it is possible to read the entire Bible and still fall short of any enlightenment! Even those of us who are truly seeking to know God, can fall short of receiving any enlightenment... for it is said that God humbles the proud and exalts the humble! This is specially evident in the blindness of the people of Israel, most of whom are still awaiting the very first coming of the Mesiah... though the Word was revealed to them and was entrusted to them, they allowed their perceived knowledge of God blind them to the Truth that was revealed to them in the Flesh! True, this is within God's Design... but those who humbly sought the Lord, the Holy Spirit was genereously merciful to them all brought them to the revelation of the Emmanuel! Again, I reiterate: reading the Bible as though it were any book at all will not offer anyone anything more than what they are seeking! (Romans 8:5-9) God Bless! Angel |
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154 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139950 | ||
Hi, Steve! I do not misconstrue your words! I respond to you in the context of the thread! I have not stated that everyone or anyone will be allowed second changes after death! I believe that Jesus died to Save humanity! I believe that He preached to those who had died prior to His revelation (Incarnation, Death, Resurrection and Ascension)! Where there is no Scriptural statement speaking on Salvation of infants and mentally incapacitated... there is plenty of promise that God will take care of His people, that Jesus is the Savior of mankind, that the Holy Spirit (who is God) searches where the human intellect and understanding cannot!--this affords me the reassurance that God will not forsake those who are not fortunate enough to know Jesus; those who not due to personal election to reject God find themselves with the inability to choose Jesus because it is beyond their means--and where God's Salvific Plan allots for the Salvation of those who were under the Old Covenant (1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6)! If you refer to the original post on this thread and reread the various counter points, you will find that there are people who are adamant about living an explicit-Biblical-text Christianity that serve only to limit God's Will, Authority and Mercy! Since I speak not just for our benefit (yours and mine) I must be inclusive whenever possible... though I must confess that, at times, I may respond according to my perceived intent rather than the author's intended export... I must also admit that, in the heat of exchange, my response feeds off the emotions displayed and my vocabulary may become curt/aggressive... as an example: "You seem to base your belief on sentimentality." ...this of course, is seen as a statement from you that I do not offer Scriptural support when making a statement! However, the problem lies not in my lack of Scriptural support but in the acceptance or rejection of the Scripture passages I offer! I Christ states that God can give Abraham descendants out of stones... it is not me stating that to God all things are possible, though I may infer that from Jesus' Word even if not citing the very specific passage that states that to God all things are possible! Others may demand that I demonstrate direct Scriptural text... this is where our path diverges! I refuse to limit God to what the text of the letter says... because I know that there is much more material that was not written down in the Holy Scripture... and I know that even that which is written down does not serve the purpose of constraining God--rather it serves to aide us into His Understanding! (John 20:30-31; Romans 15:4) God Bless! Angel |
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155 | Holy Spirit or holy spirit; (s)Spirit? | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139948 | ||
Hi, Ray! "live according to God in the Spirit" I know that this passage seems clear cut... but if we live according to God in the Spirit (meaning the Holy Spirit), I would definetely emphasize the S... if we live according to God in the spirit (meaning as spiritual beings), no, since the base meaning would revolve around the creature and not the Creator! "I know of no Scripture that talks about God's Holy Spirit, however." However, there are many Scriptural passages that do speak on the Spirit of God (a few ex: Romans 8:9, 14; 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11, 12, 14; 3:16); I may had added the word Holy... that is just the way I see it: God is Holy! ""Your holy Servant Jesus," Since the direct reference here is Christ, I would capitalize Holy and Servant, and Anointed--we are all called to be holy, but we are not the Holy One; we are all called to be servants, but we are not the Servant of God; we are all called to be anointed by the Holy Spirit, but there's but one Anointed One! (You, of course, is a direct pronoun referencing God, so it is automatically emphasized!) "Who and/or what is going to help us make these decisions?" Personally, if I had the resources I would commission a special Bible edition that would incorporate much of the capitalization that you and I have been speaking on; I would also take into consideration certain phrases/words (Maran atha, El, El Saddai, Paraclete, Amen...) which, to me, have very profound meanings; this version would include as much built-in concordance (which facilitates cross reading and comparison) and a comprehensive historical dictionary... ...much, I am afraid, is open to individual preference... I mean: if the word God or any name of God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is not capitalized... I take offense! However, if only adjectives or pronouns, other than personal pronouns, are not capitalize... I can ignore it or emphasize the capitalization on my own! God Bless! Angel |
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156 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139945 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! I understand your position... I still hold that when we read Scripture as though we are reading a "best seller" or a tabloid or the Times (newspaper)... we are seeking to discern God by our own means--as limited and corrupt as they are, we will not know God! (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15) God Bless! Angel |
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157 | Angel, How is the Bible incomplete? | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139338 | ||
Hi, Searcher! "yet we are not given the precise information to conclusively state "it happened exactly..."" For this particular reasong, among others, I based my previous statements... You are correct in pointing out that cult leaders claim something about revelations... yet, usually they claim that these revelations are made to them and only to them and that God speaks directly to them... many more times than not their behabior and what they demand of their congregation differs with Christ's Word... sadly, humanity rather follow others than to get actively involved... this is why so many have so much success in separating people from Scripture, their moneys, their loved ones, and even society in general! Experts... well... they are another breed altogether! Many are quick to agree with others as long as they are seen as qualified authority! (check some of the programs on channels such as Discovery, History, and other PBS-types); these people would argue both sides of an issue offering personal speculation as though they were presenting facts. I remember that big scare that some theologeans had about Mel Gibson's movie (The Passion of the Christ); they spoke about the devastating effects that it would have on the Jews as hightened anti-Semetic feelings would promote hatred against the Jews... did not happened! This is just a classic example of little fact being fermented with tons of supposition... When dealing with the Bible: personal study is a must! Anyone can claim anything--only the truly ignorant of the Word can be easily mislead! Jesus promised that He would send the Paraclete, who would abide with the Believer, and He, the Paraclete, would teach, and guide the Church! The Holy Spirit will never mislead us! Man can and will! God Bless! Angel |
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158 | is it ok to pray publically? | John 11:42 | JCrichton | 139336 | ||
Hi! So when the disciples gathered and prayed (all together, not in individual closets) they were wrong?: Acts 12:12; 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 6:4; 12:5; 16:13, 16... And when speaking about praying constantly, that meant that most disciples spent their whole days praying in their closets? (Ephesians 6:18) ...and when Jesus stated that where two or three would gather He would be in their midst, He meant "but only if you do everything but pray?" (Matthew 18:20) Even today, worshippers gather and celebrate the affluent and the "super spiritual;" at times almost rejecting the "run-of-the-mill" people; then, there are the ones who seek recognition for their "Christian" achievements/generosity ... these are truly the actitudes that Christ rejects! God Bless! Angel |
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159 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139335 | ||
Hi, Steve! True! I believe that God supersede's all the limitations that we impose on Him, including requiring that He be exceptionally specific in Biblical text! God Bless! Angel |
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160 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139334 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! Just look around your township... how many denominational congregations do you find? Do they use something other than the Bible as their doctrinal base? Do all of their ministries mirror each other?... There are "Christians" preaching various values (wealth through Scripture, homosexuality in Scripture, lone-ranger Christianity--devoid of congregational constraints, cookie-sampler Christianity--grab what appeals to you, wheel-of-fortune Christianity--drop by wherever, whenever you please just don't commit to anyone...); these, as well as many others, are reading Scripture and acting upon "feelings!" Christianity, to some, is becoming as the multipurpose crucifix that "celebreties" like to hang around their necks... these "feelings" have a different meaning according to what is going on in their lives from one minute to another! Do you know the premise of the Mormons' belief system? Thoughout time I've been visited by various representatives, in several states, uniquivocally, they always reference John 10:16 as the clear, textual, proof that their congregation was established by Christ! The Masters of the Law (both Pharisees and Sadducees) were the authority of both the written and oral traditions (Mosaic Law)... yet they failed terribly! Remember Nicodemus's educated response to Jesus when Jesus brought up the subject of being born again? (John 3:4) This was an authority in Israel and, in spite of all his text knowledge, he could not understand God's Design! Even when Jesus breaks it down even further (John 3:5-8), he is still unable to grasp Jesus' Word (John 3:9)... Jesus did not marveled at Nicodemus' limitations because Jesus was ignorant of man's imperfection... Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand that He spoke on God's Design in a manner that should have been familiar to him--after all he was supposed to represent the best of God's People! Cain and Abel is the quintessencial proof of abiding in the Spirit and abiding in the flesh: brothers--direct blood-line volunteer servants--no format for worshipping had been established (except in the heart); individual response (aspiration) to pleasing God: Able offers the best of the best; Cain offers whatever! How simple is that? One of the brothers decided on offering the best he could; the other brother could not be bothered! (This example is also an example of confusion in reading: many want to exterpulate that Cain's error was in not offering a blood sacrifice; this of course is contrary to what God later established as acceptable offering (animal, grain, oil, flower...). I know that I cannot change your mind about anything--specially Scripture--reread some of the Gospels' passages, specially those where Scripture explicitly tell us that Jesus spoke in the manner that He did so that those who would not want to listen/see could not--at times we find the explanations given to His disciples (private revelations) because they too were hard at understanding! God Bless! Angel |
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