Results 141 - 160 of 1260
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: charis Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
141 | Rom 7:9 What's it mean? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 51884 | ||
Dear inmyheart, Greetings in the name of Jesus! My friend, how you respond to a post is the concern of all that participate in the forum. This is especially true when you encourage someone (using Scripture, no less!) without even reading the thread. This is called "responsibility." :-) If you still agree with 'RAVEN,' then tell us all why. However, if after reading the thread, you disagree with the post, then be good enough to say "sorry" to Hank. This is called "courtesy." :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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142 | Jesus' name baptism? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 48408 | ||
Dear Mommapbs, Blessings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus! In my sometimes not so humble opinion, Colossians is speaking of real, physical baptism by immersion in water. This would satisfy the entirety of Scripture, rather than the agenda of some fringe group. I do not see this as controversial in any way, and it makes so much SENSE! :-) You asked me, "Does this mean that if a believer has not entered the waters of baptism they have not been sanctified?" My answer is that the word sanctify means cleanse, and all three Biblical baptisms are for cleansing us from sin. If sin were to stop upon our being apprehended by the Lord (the gift of faith poured into our lives), then indeed we would be totally sanctified at that moment. However, I have yet to know any Christian that meets this criteria, therefore I conclude that we are not 'completely' sanctified until we meet the Lord face to face. You were correct to use the word 'begun' in your following question. Indeed, we are cleansed from the sin of Adam and justified by faith the moment the Lord touches our heart. But even if we 'decide' to receive Christ as Savior, we must still deal with the sin that can easily overcome us. This is not to say we can lose our salvation! May it never be! But we can forfeit reward in the eternal kingdom of God by disobedience and irresponsibility. "Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NASB. To me, gold, silver and precious stones signify faith, obedience, prayer in the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. (not necessarily in that order, and including other acts of faithfulness). Wood, hay and straw are the human 'false' equivalents of the former, including the traditions of men, religious institution, and worldly philosophy. The pretenders will be toast, but the true will always save us! Praise God! (note: there are those who claim that there are many 'false brethren' with no 'real' faith, therefore unworthy of salvation. I am of the opinion that there are but a few that fall [pun intended] into this category. Instead, I wonder about these claimant's grasp of the concept of grace, and pray that THEIR reward is 'satisfactory' on that day!) Have a nice retreat! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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143 | Jesus' name baptism? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 48265 | ||
Dear Mommapbs, Greetings in Jesus' name! I do not believe, as the quote from your 'denominational web site' seems to state, that we are forgiven because we are water baptized. Instead, I would say that water baptism pleases God, and that He desires that we submit ourselves to this physical act of obedience. The result is a reward of strength to overcome sin in our lives, a real spiritual impartation that we can stand upon as Biblical. (I do NOT believe that water baptism is just an "outward expression of an inner work") The blood of Christ cleanses us of the sin of Adam, but we participate in the ongoing work of sanctification through repentance and obedience. I believe that water baptism accomplishes the "circumcision of heart." "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." Deuteronomy 30:6 NASB. This 'love' is more than faith, but includes faithful actions in accord with the Bible. "...and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." Colossians 2:11,12 NASB. I believe that water baptism should be administered in the name of the Lord Jesus, in keeping with the Scriptural pattern set forth in the book of Acts, and in keeping with the Scriptural mandate in Colossians 3:17: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (NASB) Full-immersion water baptism is NOT for salvation, but for sanctification, a 'cooperative' work of the Holy Spirit that takes our whole life. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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144 | Why did God send phophets | Rev 20:5 | charis | 46314 | ||
Dear hillbilly, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, I think you will find that the God spent a lot more time explaining how to live here and now than He did about signs pointing to future events. If you have settled all the here and now issues, and are living in accord with His instructions for you where He has placed you, then perhaps you have the spare time to ponder the end times. I, for one, have found that the entire Bible was written expressly for the purpose of edifying my present life in Christ, and that most conjecture about end time prophecy is just that: vain conjecture. Why did God write about past and future events? So we can learn to live in Him NOW! If your study of seals and horsemen actually (honestly!) enhances your walk with Jesus, then bless you! If, however, you are not a living testimony of the Gospel, then do that first! Also, please remember that NOBODY knows the times or dates, that is God's sovereign knowledge. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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145 | End justifies means? | 1 Cor 1:21 | charis | 45415 | ||
Dear Searcher, Greetings in the name of Jesus! I am sorry, I seem to have misunderstood this portion of Scripture as meaning the simplicity of the message of the Gospel as being enough, while many want to bring others to Christ by 'baiting' them with perquisite and personal profit. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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146 | End justifies means? | 1 Cor 1:21 | charis | 45378 | ||
Dear saints, Blessings to all in Jesus' name! Does this verse mean that the 'end justifies the means' in the preaching of the Gospel? (I have heard such said in defense of preaching a 'fun' or 'cool' Gospel, or the 'Prosperity Message.' i.e. "Whatever brings 'em to Christ is OK!") In Christ, charis |
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147 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 43986 | ||
Dear tomn, Greetings in the name of Jesus! ID# 34017 Also, if you have the time to go through the tree, you will see that I answered almost everyone's comment. Please (then) answer the question! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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148 | Is God responsible for evil? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 43510 | ||
Dear KBurgee, Greetings in the name of Jesus! My friend, it is good to 'see' you again! :-) How are your studies coming? I agree with you, God is good, so he could not create evil. It IS very simple. I will wait for another time to discuss suicide and salvation-by-choice. Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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149 | All of the above? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43465 | ||
Dear heisthe1, Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! Thank you for getting back to me. I do agree that faith itself is only seen by God. But the faith of the righteous is evident in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The world and it's slaves cannot see these fruit and the faith of God's people except the Holy Spirit quicken it to their eyes. This is what we would call a 'testimony.' The world has false equivalents of all of the fruit of the Spirit, and sometimes even the church is misled by the counterfeit. I believe this is where the church sometimes gets the idea that physical blessing is equal to faith. Thank you for your blessing, and may the Lord also pour upon you His goodness. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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150 | Does God want us to prosper | Deut 28:1 | charis | 43462 | ||
Dear TRU4GOD, Greetings in Jesus' name! Friend, I also consider you a brother in Christ, with no reservations! :-) I guess that I have seen so much abuse of the terms 'blessings,' 'prosperity,' and 'health' that I am somewhat touchy on the subject. Does God want to give us 'health and wealth?' Depending on your definition of these terms, Yes and No. Health, for instance: God wants to free us from Adam's curse of death, He wants to free this planetary abode from malevolence and pestilence! Yes! Does God want you to be free from all of the ordinary 'ordeals' of man, colds and stubbed toes? Does He want to give you a testimony, "See, if you believe in God you will no longer be plagued with colds and stubbed toes, illness and mishap!"? No, that is ridiculous. Next, wealth: God indeed desires that you be fed, clothed and housed. He wants you to have enough to share with your neighbor, though you may experience want in order to glorify God. He may even take things away from you in order to chastise, so that you will better appreciate His goodness. But does God really want to give you so much home that you need to hire help to clean it and your possessions? Such a good job that you are never home? Such a nice car that you can accelerate from 0-60mph in 7 seconds while maintaining 70 dBA and impress your neighbors? Such a nice yard that you pay some fellows to come in with a truckful of equipment to manicure it? Such a nice education for your kids that you hardly ever see them after high school? Such a nice debt schedule that you need two full-time paychecks to pay for all these 'blessing?' (not to mention giving to your church to support your pastor's 'blessed' lifestyle) This, too, is ridiculous! However, there are those that preach these very things! It IS dangerous, because so many are duped into giving money, hoping to 'buy' these kind of 'blessings,' only to be disappointed because they cannot meet the standard of a 'truly faithful Christian' as set by these 'prosperity' ministries. My fellow forumer, I assume that you do not go to these extremes. But in this way, I get to rant from my soapbox a bit! :-) Surely our God wants to bless His children! But what is the blessing of the Bible? What was prosperity to Old Testament Israel? What kind of goodness was Jesus and His disciples talking about? What you see and hear on TV? NO! (I am blessed to live in Japan, where overt greed is still considered worldliness) Well, my day is just starting. Many spiritual blessings to you, and may your needs be met in the bounty of our Lord! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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151 | Does God want us to prosper | Deut 28:1 | charis | 43399 | ||
Dear TRU4GOD, (Spiritual) blessings to you in Jesus' name! (quote) "...it takes money to establish and build God's kingdom here on earth." (unquote) No, it doesn't. At least not in the way you are saying it. It takes faith, faithfulness, perseverance, honesty, vision, purity, hope, servanthood, love, kindness, patience, trust, and more faith. Cubic dollars never established anything but human institution. I'm sorry, but the way I hear the word 'prosperity' used grieves my spirit. Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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152 | Is not Jesus enough? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43397 | ||
Dear TRU4GOD, Greetings from Japan in Jesus' name! First of all, charis has a wife, not a husband! :-) Friend, I admire that you seek God and His kingdom first, but I cannot get away from the idea that health and prosperity are a strong second to you. When we state that good health and financial prosperity are signs or proof of faith, then we are also stating that bad health and poverty are equally signs of lack of faith. While this may be a popular theology in America, a great deal of the rest of the world does not have the luxury of proclaiming this kind of faith. Is faith dependent on geographic location? So, if we do not claim (and prove by receipt) excellent health and financial prosperity, are we unfaithful, and rejecting our Lord? I don't think so. We do not NEED money and extra possessions, we want them! We can only claim good health until we get sick, and all are appointed to die, unless the Lord returns before our time. Even the most faithful get colds and have accidents. Or are you saying that faith makes us immune to all illness and mishap? My friend, I find this doctrine a dangerous one, and extremely bigoted and judgemental. I cannot, in good conscience, spread a gospel (not Gospel) of fortune and health. I have yet to see these things give peace and joy. Good luck! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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153 | All of the above? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43371 | ||
Dear heisthe1, Greetings in Jesus' name! Friend, I don't quite agree that our faith requirements are different from any other age in the new covenant. Christians of every generation have always needed to walk in faith. I am not sure what you mean about 'sixth sense' faith. Faith should produce fruit that can be measured, just not measured in the same way that the world measures blessing, i.e. wealth, power or fame. The fruit we should pursue is the fruit of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22 and 23. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (NASB) Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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154 | Does God want us to prosper | Deut 28:1 | charis | 43369 | ||
Dear Sam, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Not necessarily. God wants us to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. None of these have anything to do with financial blessing. In fact, I could argue that too much financial blessing often robs us of spiritual blessing. How many Christians are owned by their money? Oh! the temptation to think how much we could do for Jesus if we had a lot of money. Oh! the truth is that Jesus doesn't need your money, but your heart. Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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155 | Can an All Powerful God commit Sin? | Ps 34:8 | charis | 43334 | ||
Dear Clark, Greetings in Jesus' name! There is no conundrum here at all. If you believe in the One and Only God, then He is only good. Other gods may offer a personal choice concerning their attributes, or make room for philosophical conumdrum, but the God of the Bible is good ONLY! Trusting in this, indeed trusting in Him is called faith. This particular faith is unavailable in other religions. To answer your questions: 1) Yes. 2) Yes. Please, He! No 'she!' 3) Why would He even want to do as we do? 4) No. 5) No. 6) Moot. 7) No. He is still omnipotent. 8) Moot. 9) Moot. 10) Moot. Friend, your trouble is lack of faith in a God that is ALL GOOD. I pray that you find Him. Call upon His name Jesus, and all your questions will be answered. Blessings, and peace in Christ Jesus, the One all await and need. charis |
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156 | Promise? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43318 | ||
Dear Indy, Greetings from Yokohama in the name of Jesus! My friend, I agree that salvation is a part of the promise of God, but is it the whole promise? I think that we may have to more fully express what salvation is in order to be able to say we are recipients of the full promise of God. For instance, Jesus paid the full price for our sin-debt on the Cross, and this is ours by grace through faith. In this, I can accept Dr. Stanley's analogy as a portion of the promise to the saints of old, and to us as well. But wasn't there more to the promise to Israel than just 'getting out of Egypt?' Wasn't there a land, a dwelling place for them, that they were supposed to go to? In the Old Testament, this was the Promised Land, and only two arrived of the original recipients of this whole promise. (Even Moses did not rate!) However, even after crossing the Jordan, we find that just entering the physical Promised Land did not give them all the blessings. At the end of Joshua's days, there were still many uncircumcised enemies in their land. (sounds somthing like the church of today! :-)) I'm sorry if this is a bit disjointed (I am battling jet-lag), but my point is that it is not only the promise of salvation from deserved hell, but a promise of a dwelling place in our Savior. Perhaps this would be the church. Not the physical building or even the denomination or bent, but a household of God. "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22 NASB. IMHO, this real place of promise is the local church, the expression of Christ. Out of hell, and in His body. Thoughts? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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157 | Too much grace? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 43297 | ||
Dear Scribe, Greetings in Jesus' name! Friend, I have a problem with your studious stance. At what point can we maintain the grace of God? We can never know the heart of man, that is God's soveriegn territory. Neither can we fathom the depths of God's grace. This too, is His alone to know. You seem to want to 'identify' porno addiction as an 'unforgivable sin.' Why not 'anger addiction' or 'untruth addiction?' How about 'self-righteousness addiction' or 'human-knowledge addiction?' Finally, what about 'speaking-for-God addiction?' I have witnessed these sins, perhaps even experienced them. I pray that He is still my Savior, full of grace! Heresy to preach too much grace? Hmmm. Imbalance, maybe; irresponsible, surely! But heresy? Hardly. Peace and grace to you, my fellow forumer. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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158 | Is not Jesus enough? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43285 | ||
Dear TRU4GOD, Greetings in Jesus' name! I agree that the saints of old were searching for the Messiah, and that He is come. But are we indeed 'entitled' to physical blessings because He has come? I know this is a popular theme on the TV circus shows, but is this really the promise of the Gospel? As you quoted from Hebrews 11:13, "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." (NASB) Does this not still apply to the present-day church? Are we not still 'Strangers and Aliens in a strange land?' It seems to me that the 'blessings' (plural) that the world seeks are not holy in themselves, but they CAN be a by-product of faith in Christ. BUT, not necessarily! O saints in 'blessed lands' (such as America), do not be enamored with the promises (desires!) of the world! Is not Jesus enough? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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159 | All of the above? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43279 | ||
Dear faithfolk, Blessings in the name of Jesus! So...All of the above? :-) Would you (then) go as far as to say that the New Testament promises to us just about anything we claim? Would receipt of desired blessings be 'proof' of faith? Or are we in a similar situation to the Old Testament saints, that it is faith in the promises that is blessing, not receipt thereof? Peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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160 | Promise? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43176 | ||
Saints, Greetings in the name of Jesus! What is the 'promise' in this verse? Is this promise for us today? Is it wealth? Abundant life? Gifts? Eternal life? The Promised Land? (i.e. geographic Israel) The New Testament 'equivalent?' Please provide Scriptural evidence. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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