Results 141 - 160 of 975
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
141 | how did satan survive the flood? | Gen 7:23 | Aixen7z4 | 147822 | ||
Hello. It has been stated already that Satan is a spirit and as such he is not affected by physical things such as water, even in a flood. I do not know how he is affected by fire either, except that he will be in it, and he will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10). In Genesis 1:2 it says that the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters. I wonder if Satan would not have done a similar thing in Genesis 7:19. He does tend to mimic God, and he is like God in this one aspect, that he is a spirit. But the word of God does not talk about Satan during the flood. It seems to me that there are many times when the Spirit of God might have talked about Satan and he does not. For example, we are not told in Genesis that Cain was a follower or son of Satan, although he was (1 John 3:12). Indeed, after Genesis 3, and except for the beginning of the book of Job, Satan is hardly mentioned in the Old Testament. In the New Testament he is only mentioned here and there, as if to remind us that he is around. He is, but the focus is not on him. This piece is not intended to raise other issues, but simply to say that the word of God seems to give much less attention to Satan and more to the one to whom he is arch-rival, the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not tell us where Satan was during the flood, or what he was doing. It does tell us, though, that God was with Noah and in the business of saving him and those who had faith to enter the ark. I wonder if, when we are in heaven, if we will wonder where Satan is. I think our focus will be on Jesus, and we will always know where he is. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face. Amen. |
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142 | Pattern of words? | Luke 11:13 | Aixen7z4 | 147819 | ||
Who knows the way of the mind? Who knows the heart? Who knows how it is formed, how it operates, and how it expresses itself? The mind, it seems, can be filled with self, with words, with thoughts, with emotions, or with God. This also fluctuates with time. It is apparent, when we search the Scriptures, that we can be filled with many things. Throughout time people have been filled with fear (Luke 5:26), with wrath (Luke 4:28), with envy (Acts 13:45; Romans 1:29), with the spirit of one thing or the other (Exodus 35:31), and by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). It is apparent that some have been filled, not only temporarily, but also in some cases habitually, and so they are characterized with those things. The idea of being filled is to have one’s mind saturated. Some say it means to be controlled, but that may not be so, for the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet (1 Corinthians 14:32). It means to be absorbed with, or to have all, and no more, of what one seems to need. But the sense of need, and the measure to which one is filled also varies with time. There is a filling followed by a dissipation, (1 Kings 18, 19) and a subsequent need to be filled again. And one can be filled with the Holy Spirit. This may happen one time, as at the time of the new birth, but it can happen again. The command to be filled with the Spirit suggests that we should remain appropriate and available so that he can fill us again and again as he sees fit and necessary. The Holy Spirit may fill us with love or joy or peace (Galatians 5) or power (Micah 3:8) that we do not ordinarily have (Judges 13,14,15). He may also fill us with wisdom so habitually that we become known for our wisdom (Exodus 28:3; 31:3: etc.). Then it may be said that we have a spirit of wisdom (Deuteronomy 34:9). It is but one of the characteristics that he gives to men. When one is filled with the Spirit, he may be filled with the spirit of many things: counsel, and might, the spirit of knowledge, the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2). It seems foolhardy to think of a way to fill ourselves, as it were automatically, with the Spirit. The command (Ephesians 5:18) is in the passive voice, indicating that it is someone else, in this case the Lord himself, who fills us with the Spirit. The filling is what happens to us, rather than something we do. But we can prepare ourselves for it, by cleansing ourselves and thus becoming vessels fit for the master’s use (2 Timothy 2:21). In order to use us, he fills us. Our Lord Jesus Christ was always filled with the Spirit, for we read (John 3:34) that the Spirit was not given to him by measure. It suggests that the Spirit is given to us by measure. So we always have him, if we are saved, but we are not always filled. Is there a believer who has never been filled with the Spirit? I think not, or we would not know what we were asking for. But we have experienced it, and we want to be filled again. We can ask for that, and meeting the conditions, the Lord will fill us as he sees fit, for the tasks we face. It should be clear from the above, that we are not to seek the filling of the Spirit for its own sake. The Spirit fills us with joy so we can have strength for a task, for the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). He fills us with love (Romans 5:5) so we can love God and each other, with patience and experience and hope. He fills our minds with the word of God (John 14:26) so we can share it with power (Hebrews 4:12). There is so much that we have to do that is not human to do. Therefore the Lord says it is not by might nor by power but by his Spirit. We have to depend on him and wait on him. But when he fills us, it is like a jet with its engines running full speed, and the brakes on. We have the potential of so much power then, but we will be frustrated and overwhelmed within ourselves, and we’d be found making a meaningless noise, unless we went into action, to do the Lord’s will. It seems to me the Lord will fill us when he has a task for us. Within the church, it might be for the purpose of speaking to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things. Outside, it might be so we can speak the word of God with boldness in places where it is accepted or not accepted, in season and out of season. May God fill us with his Spirit, and with the spirit of understanding so we can readily relate to these things. And let us not be afraid to think on these things or to experience them. We should stand ready and expect this filling of the Spirit again and again, because there is God's work to be done. And God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. |
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143 | Jesus wept !... did Jesus ever laugh? | Luke 10:21 | Aixen7z4 | 147434 | ||
Hello Doc: It was mentioned, you know, two paragraphs from the end: "The Psalmist (Psalm 2) says that God will laugh later. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh at those who take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed". It seems, when we combine that with more of scripture, that it will be more of chuckle at their arrogance and less than a hearty laugh of pleasure. The message came: "‘As I live’, saith the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live’" (Ezekiel 33). But turning to Jesus again, It does seem that his life expressed both sorrow and joy. He was not as austere as John the Baptist. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners” (Matthew 11). He had a balanced life, but was apparently not known for giddy laughter. We should try to be like him, I think, and not try too hard to imagine that he was the average one of us. |
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144 | Jesus wept !... did Jesus ever laugh? | Luke 10:21 | Aixen7z4 | 147397 | ||
Scripture is all about our Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:39) but nowhere does it say that Jesus laughed. It says (Isaiah 53) that he was a man of sorrows. Nor is God the Father or the Holy Spirit known to laugh. But some have said that God causes them to laugh; for example, Sarah (Genesis 21): “God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me”. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, they were like them that dream (Psalm 126). Their mouth was filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing. It that they may be an example for us, because they Lord overturns a captivity for us betimes. But laughter is a curious thing, and people laugh for various reasons. Sarah laughed because she was happy. God had given her a son in her old age. Some would laugh with her, she said. But she lived to see Ishmael, the son of Hagar laughing at her son. That was painful. That was a persecution. “He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit“ (Galatians 4). And that is the way it was with Jesus. We do not read of him laughing with anyone. But we do read that they laughed at him. In life, they doubted him. They mocked his claims. When they thought he was wrong, they might laugh him to scorn (Matthew 9:24; Mark 5:40; Luke 8:53). As they put him to death, they laughed at him (Psalm 22:7) but it does not say if they were laughing as they mocked him and reviled him (Matthew 27) but it is clear he was not laughing. He has said that his soul was exceedingly sorrowful. In his adversity, they rejoiced, perhaps believing that it proved his claims were false. But he rose again. “Even so it is now”. Some preachers tell us we should laugh more, that it is attractive, etc. Some say it is a good medicine. But is Solomon, in Proverbs 17, referring to a merry heart, or a joyful heart? Jesus says we will laugh later. “Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh” (Luke 6). He will give the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Sometimes it is just plain hard to laugh because of the “manifold temptations”. We are in heaviness (1 Peter 1). James (4:9) tells some of us that we should give up our laughter. And Solomon says it is better to go to the house of mourning. The Psalmist (Psalm 2) says that God will laugh later. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh at those who take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed. In the meantime he takes no pleasure in the death of so many. His countenance is set with a determination to offer them salvation. And we follow him as his dear children. Rejoicing is a different matter. We should rejoice now. At a certain hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit (Matthew 11, Luke 10). And he has told us so many times, that we should rejoice in spite of our unpleasant circumstances, and sometimes because of them. We would do well to sing Habakkuk’s song: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom … yet I will rejoice in the LORD”. Rejoice in the Lord always. Seems that’s what Jesus did. |
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145 | what is salvation and how does it work ? | Eph 2:8 | Aixen7z4 | 146506 | ||
Good that the question was asked: “What is salvation?” To be saved means many things, including being forgiven, being adopted into God’s family, becoming God’s possession by the process of redemption, being sealed with the Holy Spirit, and such other things as are mentioned in Ephesians 1. It means to be washed, and sanctified, and justified, as in 1 Corinthians 6. It means to become dead to sin, as in Romans 6. But in relation to the question of possibly losing one’s salvation, we might consider that salvation means to be changed. We are born again, as in John 3. We have become new creatures, as in 2 Corinthians 5. In answering the question whether we can lose our salvation, then, we are considering whether that process, that change, can be reversed. With all the encouragement to continue, with all the warnings of the consequences if we don’t, is there anything in Scripture to suggest that the process of being born again can be reversed? We do not save ourselves. According to John 1, and in relation to the question of how it works, it is God who saves us. According to 1 Peter 5, it is God who keeps us. But also, in light of the aspect of salvation noted here for emphasis, it is God’s nature that has been imparted to us (2 Peter 1). John says that God’s seed is in us, and it remains (1 John 3). Can our new nature then be changed? To ask the question another way, one may borrow the words from Jeremiah 13: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? They would have to change their genes! And we are speaking of a person’s nature here. It is appropriate that we keep the focus on the nature of salvation. And keep in mind that in salvation, God changes our nature. A person who has done this and that may stop doing this or that. But if God has changed my nature, and he has, then I cannot reverse the process. Let me hasten to admit that our behavior can change. In a saved person, it should continually change for the better. But people who are saved can do wrong things, and they do, sometimes. Even the apostles sinned (1 John 1). But sin is contrary to our new nature, and we do not make it a practice. John says that we cannot (1 John 3:9). People who practice sin should question themselves whether they are saved. The lifestyle should suggest to them that they are not. People who are saved and know it find it impossible to imagine becoming unsaved again. Scripture encourages us to live in accordance with our new nature, but it does not teach us to fear losing it. If any of us thinks we can lose our salvation, then we should ask ourselves if we really understand what salvation is, a change in nature, and whether we know God has engendered it in us. |
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146 | who is the holy spirit | Gen 1:26 | Aixen7z4 | 145941 | ||
The Holy Spirit is, as the Father and the Son, one of the trinity revealed to us as God (John 14, Galatians 4). He is the one who was hovering over the waters of the unshapen world in Genesis 1. He is the one who inspired the writing of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1) and who helps us to understand it (1 Corinthians 2). He is the one who convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16), leads us to Christ, and effectuates the new birth in us (John 3). He guides the lives of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8). It is the Holy Spirit that is most active in the world today, prompting us to ask questions about spiritual things and to receive answers from the word of God. Be aware, therefore, that he is with some of us and in some of us (John 14). | ||||||
147 | Big deal that Jesus died when he is God? | 1 Tim 3:16 | Aixen7z4 | 145939 | ||
The Almighty God can do anything. But let us face it: Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. If I understand your question, you are saying that since God can do anything we should not be surprised or overly impressed by anything that he does. But if that were the case, we would not worship him. We bow before him because we are appropriately impressed with his power, his holiness, his love, his death and resurrection, and by the share number and scope of his attributes. In addition to the facts of what he has done, we might consider how he might have done it and also why he would have done it. How he was able to lay down his life and take it up again, we do not understand. ’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies: Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love divine. ’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. Some of it he tells us. His death was not simply an expiration. It involved rejection and humiliation and suffering. He suffered in his soul and in his body, and in his spirit he experienced separation from the Father. Whereas sin was anathema to his soul, he became sin for us. If you consider how he died, it seems impossible for anyone to shrug it off because it was within his ability. The other question is “Why?” Why would he do these things for us? The ancients marveled at it. “What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son of man, that you visit him?” (Psalm 8). Why would he love us when we hated him? Why would he want to be our friend, when we had chosen to be his enemy? And how could anyone love that much? When we consider these things, and if we are not impressed, we may well wonder at our own ability to ask: “What’s the big thing?” The biggest thing of all is not that he could do it but that he would do it. |
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148 | Big deal that Jesus died when he is God? | 1 Tim 3:16 | Aixen7z4 | 145937 | ||
The Almighty God can do anything. But let us face it: Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. If I understand your question, you are saying that since God can do anything we should not be surprised or overly impressed by anything that he does. But if that were the case, we would not worship him. We bow before him because we are appropriately impressed with his power, his holiness, his love, his death and resurrection, and by the share number and scope of his attributes. In addition to the facts of what he has done, we might consider how he might have done it and also why he would have done it. How he was able to lay down his life and take it up again, we do not understand. ’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies: Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love divine. ’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. Some of it he tells us. His death was not simply an expiration. It involved rejection and humiliation and suffering. He suffered in his soul and in his body, and in his spirit he experienced separation from the Father. Whereas sin was anathema to his soul, he became sin for us. If you consider how he died, it seems impossible for anyone to shrug it off because it was within his ability. The other question is “Why?” Why would he do these things for us? The ancients marveled at it. “What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son of man, that you visit him?” (Psalm 8). Why would he love us when we hated him? Why would he want to be our friend, when we had chosen to be his enemy? And how could anyone love that much? When we consider these things, and if we are not impressed, we may well wonder at our own ability to ask: “What’s the big thing?” The biggest thing of all is not that he could do it but that he would do it. |
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149 | how do you think god search your heart | Ps 139:23 | Aixen7z4 | 145881 | ||
God tests our hearts by putting us through trying circumstances. See Deuteronomy 8:2. Consider also Deuteronomy 8:16; Deuteronomy 13:3; Genesis 22:1; Exodus 15:25, Exodus 16:4; 2 Chronicles 32:31; Psalm 81:7; Proverbs 17:3; Malachi 3:2,3; James 1:3; 1Peter 1:7. We do not know our own hearts, and we must judge ourselves by our behavior. Interestingly, God also needs to see our actions. God does not need to know what kind of creatures we are. As Jesus showed, he knows what is in man (John 2). He knows our thoughts (Psalm 139). And yet , it is our behavior that he wants to see. God searches our hearts, not to judge us or condemn us, but to reveal it to us so we can change our minds if necessary, and reconcile our behavior to his will. Knowing these things, we are not bothered by the fact God searches us. We are glad for it. We pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. When God tested the Israelites (Deuteronomy 8) it was to make them know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. And it seems to be the same for us. |
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150 | Women in Ministry | 1 Tim 2:12 | Aixen7z4 | 145880 | ||
Hello: I am very much impressed with your statements and questions. Rather than answering your questions, I would like to ask one of my own. Take it as a rhetorical question, if you will, and ponder it. The church has been on earth for thousands of years. With that in mind, des it not seem strange to you that we are still wrestling with that type of question? As human beings, and Christians, we have been male and female all along. Have we not known how we are to relate to each other? And yet it seems to me we are developing more questions, and creating more confusion, as time goes on. We are less and less sure how to relate to each other. In addition to the two passages you have mentioned, I would like to suggest 1 Corinthians 11. There we are told that even nature teaches us some proper roles for men and women. Our consciences can teach us too (Romans 1). But it is clear that we can know some things and yet refuse to allow that knowledge to guide our actions. More than that, we seem to have the capacity and the freedom not only to defy God, but also to urge others to do the same (Matthew 5:19). It seems to me that the teaching of Scripture is quite clear. But there are some among us who will try to use Scripture to question the idea of women joining in with congregational singing. And there are others who will find a way to justify placing a woman at the head of the local church. My point here is that the world and the church have been here for a long time, and we might have learned by now what the proper roles of men and women are, in the home and in the church. And perhaps, somewhere in our hearts and in our consciences, we do know these things. But we are getting further and further away from them. It is symptomatic of the state of the church, I think, because the role of the woman is not the only truth being questioned, not the only areas where we are straying. Let me encourage you if I may, by letting you know there are still assemblies where these things are not in question. True, in some places they are few and hard to find, but they are still with us. As in times past, God suffers all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he does not leave himself without witness. He still does good, and gives us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14). Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant that is faithful to God‘s word. I think it is not proper or allowable for us to recommend churches on this forum. But if you are led to write to me personally and tell me where you live, I may be able to direct you to an assembly that follows the word of God on this issue. Let me also suggest that it is context and not culture that helps us to know the meaning of Scripture. You seem to know your Bible well, and if you will ponder all of the passages you have referenced here, I do believe the meaning will be clear. You and your husband have questions, not because the passages are difficult, but because you are quite aware of what the churches are doing, and you would like to think they may be correct. But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. But I am wondering why you ask the questions. Is it of academic interest only, or are you reconsidering your present role, or considering some other role for yourself. Your questions suggest you know a lot, and I’d encourage you to practice what you know. Consider what I say; and the Lord give you understanding in all things. |
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151 | I don't understand when people say seek | John 3:3 | Aixen7z4 | 145840 | ||
Jesus said (in Matthew 6) that we should seek the kingdom of God. From that context we can see what the kingdom of God is not. He was speaking about the temptation to focus on material things. We need to turn away from those things in order to seek the kingdom of God. Paul says the same thing in Romans 14, that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. So the person who is seeking the kingdom of God does not place physical and material things at the top of his priorities. He does not live for those things. So, he does not trust in riches. He sets his affection on things above, not on things on the earth. He does not lay treasures upon earth. We cannot look for the kingdom of God with our physical eyes either. It is a matter of the heart. Jesus said (Luke 17) that “the kingdom of God does not come with observation”. It is within us. If we have an idea what the kingdom of God is not, we may be ready to look then at what it is. The kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14). That is what we should seek. We should hunger and thirst after righteousness. We should let the peace of God rule in our hearts (Colossians 3). We should lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6). We should seek those things which are above (Colossians 3). We should set our affection on things above. That is what it means to seek the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is in us, and among us. But it is the realm in which he rules. It is apparent then, that God wants to establish his kingdom in our hearts and in our midst. We should want that. We should sanctify the Lord in our hearts (1 Peter 3). We should recognize him as Lord of our lives and of the church. We should submit ourselves to his will in our personal lives and in our fellowships. We should pray, “Your will be done” (Matthew 6). The person who is not saved may well feel left out of all this. He needs to enter into the kingdom of God. As Jesus says (John 3), “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”. We need to be born again. We should humble ourselves and exercise childlike faith in him. We cannot enter on our own merits. The religious leaders like Nicodemus were righteous in their own eyes. But Jesus says, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven”. Salvation. Righteousness. Peace. All of these things are spiritual. These are the kinds of things that constitute the kingdom of God. We should seek to be ruled by him. And these are the things we should seek, first of all. |
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152 | Is wife equally obligate to leave parent | Gen 2:24 | Aixen7z4 | 145745 | ||
One can only imagine why the woman in this case would want to remain with here parents after she gets married. It may be that she needs some help in sorting out her emotions and thoughts. But we may give her credit for seeking guidance from Scripture. Let us ay that we cannot determine God’s will through logic, but we can by searching the Scriptures. A wife has been heard to say she is not supposed to love her husband because the Scripture says it is the husband who is to love his wife. She was referring to the command in Ephesians 5 and encouraged by the fact it is repeated in Colossians 3. With a little more help in searching she found in Titus 2 that women should not only love their husbands, the older ones should teach that duty to the younger wives. Likewise, Genesis 2 seems to address only the need for the man to leave his parents when he gets married. But there are other scriptures addressing the wife’s side. Please refer her to Psalm 45. There the word to the woman is this: “Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father's house”. The next verse reminds her that her husband will desire her beauty, and she is to honor him. Of course there are deeper meanings in Psalm 45, just as there are in the Song of Solomon. But the appeal given in that statement is not a new revelation of God’s will for women but an affirmation and use of what had been understood and practiced. In fact it seems to indicate the most exemplary situation. It seems to make the woman’s leaving her parents even more complete than the man’s. As someone has said, the man is to leave his parents; the woman is to forget hers. The Lord teaches us indirectly sometimes by giving us examples, and them commending them. And he shows us Rebecca in Genesis 24. They called Rebecca, and said unto her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go”. And they sent away Rebecca their sister. In Genesis 31, Rachel and Leah considered themselves strangers from their father’s house and took their place with Jacob. Other examples can be given, and in every case the indication is that it was the Lord’s way. It is a picture of our relationship with the Lord as well, as we turn, “hating” father and mother (Luke 14) to devote ourselves to him. We must be careful of human reasoning, I think, and with that I can hardly say what I think. The word says the man is the leave father and mother. It does not say he is to leave brother and sister. Is he then free to bring them into the home with his new bride? Genesis 2 does not say the man is to leave his friends. Let us stop there. We are not to add or subtract or extrapolate or perform any such human operation on the word of God. Please encourage the sister to turn her heart away from her old home, though not completely, (I hope everyone understands) and to devote herself to her husband and the formation of a new home, their home. Scripture seems to show women more willing to leave the nest than the men, and the sisters should see that they are to be commended for it an emulated in it. All of us should follow their example in changing our priority from earthly relationships to that with the Lord, and in maturing from a position of dependency to one of nurturing. |
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153 | explain: I Corinthians 9:24 | Heb 12:1 | Aixen7z4 | 145586 | ||
Hebrews 12:1 sheds light on it. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul is comparing the Christian life to that of an athlete. But an analogy is never perfect in every respect, and one must look for the essentials. The Christian life is like a race, and we must run to win. But it is not a race in which only one receives the prize. There is a certain crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4). It may be useful for us to think of our lives as bleievers in Christ as a relay race (See Hebrews 11 to 12). Many men and women of faith have gone before us and they have passed on a baton to us. They have not received the prize as yet. They are waiting for us, and we will all receive the prize together. “These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect”. This should discourage competition and division among us. Rather, it should teach us to value the lives of the saints who went before us, and to think of those who come behind us. It should remind us also to appreciate those around us, whose faith we can follow (as in Hebrews 13) and those who need our help (as in 2 Timothy 2). We can accept a baton and pass on a baton, and together we will win the race. I do not know if there were relay races in Paul’s time, or if he would have preferred that analogy. He seems to be searching for the best picture to illustrate the need for discipline and determination. In other letters he uses the farmer and the soldier as examples, and here he uses the athlete. But in the context of the passage, he is emphasizing togetherness, and devotion to the welfare of others (See 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). He is not encouraging selfishness or lonely individuality. Rather, he is focusing on the dedication shown by the athlete. He is asking us all of us together to run like that, to fight like that. The idea, as in Philippians 3, is to keep our eyes on the prize and to go for it. It is not to be the only one that wins. If we are following Jesus, we will all win this race. |
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154 | How does this verse apply to today? | James 1:13 | Aixen7z4 | 145584 | ||
Hello, Doc. I agree entirely that God is glorified in our trials, or can be. The fact that we are able to bear them is a tribute to him, and a measure of the grace we receive from him (2 Corinthians 12). Yet I wonder if he is glorified when we chafe at our trials, and complain. He says we should do all things without murmuring (Philippians 2) and therefore, I think that our complaining does not glorify him. Yet I note that Job complained, and so did David, and Jeremiah. It is perhaps in their complaining that we find the weight of their burdens and the soreness of their trials. But the Lord responds to Job with a question: “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” and he learned, and we can learn from that. We can learn from David to hope in God, and from Jeremiah that his mercies are new every morning. When God says, “Return to me and I will return to you” (Jeremiah 15) he seems to be saying again that his grace is sufficient. If we can look at these men and learn, then it may be you say, that others can look at us as well, and see that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. Like our good works (Matthew 5), our patient endurance of suffering may cause men to glorify God. And we glorify him ourselves. If any of us suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God because of it (1 Peter 4). In the end, our golden faith will bring him praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. But the trials we face are to test not our lives but our faith, and our hearts. They show how much genuine faith we have and they serve to strengthen it. God tests our hearts to see if we love him enough to obey him. And we are grateful for that. Indeed, we invite it. Like the Psalmist we say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. We love him with all our hearts, to the extent that we know our hearts, and if our trials reveal anything less, we pray, “More love, O Christ to thee”. We may even sing, in the words of Elizabeth Prentiss: Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain; Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain, When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee; More love to Thee, more love to Thee! |
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155 | A Fear of the Lord encompasses what? | Prov 22:4 | Aixen7z4 | 145568 | ||
That is good. So many of us act on our emotions without thinking, and we may find out afterwards that we have sinned. And it is still true that the payment for sin is death. There is that consequence attached to it (Romans 6). We are thankful that there is no hell, no eternal bad consequence, for us who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8). That is what the Lord calls the second death (Revelation 21). But there is a death that we experience while living, when the soul shrivels up and withers and dies (Romans 8). It is a temporary separation from fellowship with God (1 Timothy 5). We are thankful those who die can live again, and those who are separated from God can return to him. This is what we experienced when we were born again; we died and rose again in him. And he constantly calls on his children to come back. He says we should draw near to him and he will draw near to us (James 4). To be near to him is life (Psalm 16). To be away from him is death (Romans 8). There is a sense in which we are never separated from him because he never leaves us not forsakes us. His Spirit is in us. But we can quench and grieve the Spirit by willful sinning to the point that he is passive and not striving with us. Our fellowship with God is broken, and for a time he seems to cease to speak to us (Psalm 22,28). The child of God senses that and grieves about it, and that godly sorrow leads to repentance and restoration to fellowship with God. And we are never separated from the love of God (Romans 8). As the father for the prodigal son, our Father longs to have us back, and there is joy in heaven over one who repents. But it is good to hear him say too, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine”; it is good also to never stray from him. Doubtless will slip from time to time and fall. But with the help of the Spirit we are aware of it and we repent immediately and turn back. We cannot seek the pleasures of sin and fellowship with God at the same time. We respect him too much to try to bring sin into his presence. He is holy and he requires us to be holy. And he provides the means, the blood, to keep us so. The cross of Christ reminds us how seriously God takes the fact of sin. He turned away from Jesus when he took our sin, and he poured his judgment upon him. His holiness and his justice both required that. So I agree with you, my friend. The fear of the Lord will cause us all to stay away from sin. |
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156 | How does this verse apply to today? | James 1:13 | Aixen7z4 | 145559 | ||
We may say that in some ways tempting and testing are opposites. Satan tempts people in order to entice them to sin’ to try to get them to sin. God tests us so that he and we can see what we are made of. The purpose of temptation is our downfall. The purpose of testing is to reassure us that we stand by faith, and to encourage us to continue. Satan tempted Eve (Genesis 3). God tested Abraham (Genesis 22). Satan tempted David (1 Chronicles 21) and God tested Job. We may see the hand of both God and Satan in these latter cases and note how God’s and Satan’s aims were different. Satan tempted Job to curse God to his face. God tested him so that he might come forth as gold. Satan tempts us to do evil (Matthew 4). God never tempts us to do evil (James 1). Satan promises us easy times if only we will serve him. God tests us by allowing us to go through tough times so we can know whether our faith is genuine (1 Peter 1). In some places, in some translations of the Bible, the words for tempting and testing may be used interchangeably, and we will need to examine the process and the results. We need to see from the context whether the initiator is God or Satan. Their intentions toward us are always quite different. Satan wants us to do evil and to fall. God wants us to stand and be strong. Therefore, in every circumstance, we must resist the devil and submit ourselves to God (James 4). |
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157 | A Fear of the Lord encompasses what? | Prov 22:4 | Aixen7z4 | 145555 | ||
It is good to see that question. It may cause us to reflect on a most important topic. We need to know what it means to fear God, and we need to fear God (Ecclesiastes 12). It is chilling to realize that there are some around us and more so some among us who do not fear God. David says (Psalm 36) it is the reason people sin, and why some do it with impunity. They do not know God well enough to respect him. They do not apprehend his power to afflict us, or knowing it, they take advantage of his love and patience. But we should respect God because he is Creator and Sovereign and the Judge of all the earth. God is love, but God is also a consuming fire. If we are wise, the first order of business is to be sure we have a healthy fear of God. Like modern Pharaohs (Exodus 5) some show a lack of the fear of God by disobeying or ignoring God with apparent disregard for the consequences. They may profess that they do not believe there is a place called hell, or they say that God would never send people there. That is an attitude they may live again to regret for a long time. Jesus taught us that we should fear God because he has the power to cast both body and soul into hell. And there are some who know God and yet fail to glorify him (Romans 1). In effect they make themselves out to be God, in that they are wise enough to make life decisions without him. And there are some among us who know God personally and yet fail to tremble at his word. We too, may try to take advantage of his mercy and dabble in sin while believing that his grace will abound to cover it. We may play fast and loose with his word and carelessly teach false doctrines. God has warned us about that (Jeremiah 2, 3, 10, 12, Matthew 5, etc.) but some of us do it anyway. We should fear the Lord, all of us, and be careful and humble before him. We should respect him to the nth degree, and in a real sense be afraid of him. God is love but also, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him (Psalm 33:8). |
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158 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | Aixen7z4 | 145434 | ||
I am almost certain that I understand your point. A life of sin after salvation is an anomaly, and those who lead it should be worried. They should ask themselves whether they are really saved. In fact, we would all do well to ask ourselves that. But having asked the question, and having examined ourselves, we should know without question whether or not we are saved. One might well say that we should not rest until we have a clear answer. If we are not saved, we should fly to the Lord immediately and receive his grace. But once we have received his salvation, we should go on from there, or in it, with confidence. The confidence that we have is not in ourselves but in God, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. To say that I am saved is to say that Jesus has saved me. To say that I will never be lost is to say that Jesus will keep me. I know that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Then do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. Those who live a life of sin cannot be confident in their salvation. Scripture is rather rough on them. Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and we walk in darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth. It is clear that we can lie to ourselves. For example, he that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now. But the New Testament letters, written to Christians, tell us that a saved person does not automatically do right. He may need correction. He needs information, even about himself, before he can respond. When he knows who he is (and again, he needs to be made aware) he may respond to the challenge to live up to it. Salvation is cast in various terms: Forgiveness of sins. Escape from eternal punishment. Reconciliation to God. Repentance. Faith. Passage from death to life. A new nature. A new believer may be aware of one of these and not the others. Again, we need to be taught, and the New Testament letters teach us. We are not only forgiven, we are dead to sin. We have not only escaped the dominion of Satan, we have become sons of God. We are no longer slaves to sin, we are servants of righteousness. Knowledge of these things will help us to live in the light of them. When we see the sad strange life of people professing to be saved and practicing sin, we may not know the reason for the incongruity. Perhaps they lack salvation. Perhaps they lack knowledge. Perhaps they lack the help they need. I would suggest that we offer them the Gospel, information about the nature of the child of God, assistance in making necessary changes, and see how they respond. Chances are that the person claiming to be saved will respond positively, in some cases showing a desire to be saved, in other cases responding to the challenge to be true to his Christlike nature. They may even show repentance and a readiness to accept help. If they reject all such overtures, they may leave us wondering if they are saved or even want to be. The question for me is: How do you get to those people? Likely, it is not by criticizing them or condemning them. More likely, it is by presenting the truth and the challenge. The question is one of practicality. Where do you meet these people? And how do you get to talk to them? Neither the structure of the church nor its meetings, nor the ecclesiastical media, nor the mass media, seems to allow it. So I am left with a quandary. It is clear to me that we need to get the Gospel to the people in church, to help them to clarify their relationship to God, and to challenge and assist them to live as children of God. But the means by which that can be done I do not have. It might be good for us to devote some effort to discovering or revealing those. |
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159 | Why do people believe jesus is god | John 8:58 | Aixen7z4 | 145283 | ||
Or why do we believe God became a man? Those who reason backwards find it hard to see that the man, Jesus Christ, is God. Those who accept the direct revelation see that God came to earth in the form of a man, and took the name Jesus. He was in the beginning. He was the creator. He became flesh (John 1). But we have to admit it is an amazing fact we are being told here: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (1 Timothy 3). Nevertheless, we must insist that this is the message. The prophets long ago predicted that he would come here, and according to his promise, he would be called the Christ. John the Baptist closely preceded him and he saw the signs and bare record that that one is the Son of God. John the apostle and the other apostles walked with him, and after they had seen him with their own eyes, and looked upon him, and touched him with their hands, they recognized him as the Word of life. People believed on him after they had heard him for themselves, and they knew that he was indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. He proved by his words and his deeds that he was God. No mere human could speak like him or do the things that he did. Among the things that he did was to forgive sins. And as he himself asked: Who can forgive sins but God alone? |
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160 | please explain proberbs 18:21 | Gen 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 145271 | ||
It is helpful to look at the previous verse, and to see the way that the topic is treated in the rest of Proverbs and the rest of the Bible. It may also help to look at the verse in another translation. Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life (NLT). A man may do a great deal of good, or a great deal of hurt, both to others and to himself, according to the use he makes of his tongue (Matthew Henry). Our words can destroy others or build them up, and those who love to talk will see those results (Aixen). This passage does not encourage the strange idea that we can speak things into existence. (Take Job 29:18 into chapter 30. Read Luke 12:19,20). Rather it is an encouragement for us to speak words that are helpful, and a warning to be careful how we speak to each other, because words can also hurt. In context, it goes with the previous verse: Words satisfy the soul (just) as food satisfies the stomach (NLT). Therefore, Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Sometimes a man can feel that his soul is among lions: that he is among beasts that are set on fire; even though they are actually people, their teeth may appear as spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword (Psalm 57:4). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell (James). There are some who speak like the piercings of a sword. A lying tongue reveals hate toward those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin (Solomon). The mouth and the tongue can wreak havoc on a person’s spirit. On the other hand, the tongue of the just is as choice silver, and a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. The lips of the righteous feed many, and the tongue of the wise brings health (to the spirit). A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. How much good we can bring to the inner man of another man by the things that we say! With our mouth and our tongue we can bring blessings. By looking at other verses that talk about the tongue, we can see all these things. I know that whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from distresses, and one always takes a chance in that way when one speaks. It is therefore often wise to be silent. But one may also dare to speak and to try to be a blessing. If we are careful with our words, we can bring life instead of death, with our tongue. |
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