Results 161 - 180 of 281
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
161 | Does God ever change his mind? | 2 Kin 20:6 | Parable | 84622 | ||
I pray He answers you gently. Along those lines, perhaps you might find Quakerism more to your liking. The Society of Friends have jettisoned almost everything associated with Christianity, except a deep mystical relationship with God and a devoted service to mankind. Some scholars consider Quakerism a third form of Christianity, not catholic nor protestant, while others consider them to be heretics. Just a thought. Peace, Parable. |
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162 | Does God ever change his mind? | 2 Kin 20:6 | Parable | 84572 | ||
I respond: 1. This thread was restricted for the simple reason you failed to comply with the conditions set by the owner for the privilege of posting to this electronic resource. Of course, it is a judgement call on their part after someone reports abuse, but as owners, they have the right to exercise this kind of discretion. They also have the right to terminate subcriptions, which they have not done, to their credit. 2. There is no doubt I am a hypocrite. I continually fall short of living the ideals I aspire to live. As Paul says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." -- Romans 7:15 3. Regarding following blindly, I agree that from the outside, it appears this way. But again "so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4:18. Have you ever looked at one of those Magic Eye Posters that have a 3D image encoded in the pattern? To the untrained eye, it appears abstract and meaningless, but to those who know how to fix their eyes, the 3D image jumps right off the page. The first time I tried it, I saw nothing, but after encouragement from others, and faith there was something to see, I persevered. Then, after much effort, I was able to control my focus and suddenly the 3D image jumped right off the page. All it took was learning how to use my eyes in a different way. 4. Regarding our study, it is because truth is important that we strive to understand it accurately and sharing our insights is one way we "work out" (Php 2:12) our salvation, participating in God's work in us. 5. I believe your confusion may be a result of trying to derive faith with logic. The problem with that is logic depends on faith. That is, there is no logical reason to use logic; we do so because we believe it is the best way to make decisions. There are some truths that cannot be derived and if we cling to logic as our only means of understanding truth, there are many truths we will not be able to understand or accept. God's truth is like that. That doesn't mean God is not logical; indeed, as scientist, I see His perfect order in creation. But there are aspects of His nature that we cannot capture with our limited intellect, so we must use other aspects of our nature in order to relate to Him. We must employ that part of ourselves that leads us to trust logic, intuition, insight. That part of ourselves we experience when we are convicted by truth. 6. Regarding Satan, you seem to agree with scripture. But, Satan is not the author of Christianity. Jesus explained why this makes no sense when he said "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." -- Mat 12:25 7. Regarding your church, there may be problems working behind the scenes, leading to an unhealthy situation. Perhaps you might visit other churches, talk to other pastors about your concerns. You may not be the only person who feels this way about your church. If so, it may be the problem is with them, and not so much with you. |
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163 | Does God ever change his mind? | 2 Kin 20:6 | Parable | 84515 | ||
I have trouble accepting your interpretation that scripture contradicts itself. I think rather that it is hard for us to understand God's nature in simple terms. As a result, in some places scripture imparts one description that is revealed in one circumstance and in other places scripture imparts another description that is revealed in other circumstances. This does not necessarily imply God changes, but rather what He reveals about Himself is taylored to meet our needs and his nature embodies more than we can understand in one way at one time. | ||||||
164 | By the bible, is nuclear winter possible | Gen 8:22 | Parable | 84454 | ||
I value your insights and look to you as an example for how to deal with many topics on this forum. We may disagree from time to time, but I always respect how you justify your positions. Regarding dusty tomes, let us not put our treasure where moth and rust destroy, but in heaven... Parable |
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165 | By the bible, is nuclear winter possible | Gen 8:22 | Parable | 84444 | ||
I agree and will also recommend a site for those interested in a scientists perspective... www.reasons.org Peace, Parable |
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166 | By the bible, is nuclear winter possible | Gen 8:22 | Parable | 84433 | ||
1. I'll try to respond the original question of this thread, i.e. about the possibility of nuclear winter or global warming, in light of Gen 8:22. Neither of these manmade catastrophes would cause the natural cycles to stop, but they would be greatly altered, so much so that we would be most uncomfortable if not dead. This scripture does not preclude this alteration, so I submit that scripture does not say nuclear winter or global warming will not be permitted to occur, if that is what we bring upon ourselves. 2. You asked "why should anyone accept the "modern scientific understanding of the physical universe" as being the absolute truth,when it is an incontrovertible historical fact that "scientific understanding" has changed and often reversed itself since the idea of "scientific understanding" came into being? I never said that that science is absolute truth and do not endorse the idea that it is. However, Romans 1:20 speaks to our being able to see God's fingerprint on His creation, and the most rigorous way we look at creation is through the scientific method. Clearly, the scientific method is constrained in ways beyond the scope of this forum to discuss. That does not imply it is necessarily incorrect, rather only that it may be incorrect because it is not complete nor the only way to examine the world. I note that James enourages us to "test everything, keep what is good". Science tests everything. Please note, I do not deny the truths expressed by art, music, history or literature and in a similar manner, do not deny the truths of science. I merely accept them for what they are and don't stake my life on them. I stake my life on God. 3. You asked, "Who is the judge of whether science is "done properly?" Science done properly is science done in the open, subject to refinement and revision by public discourse and agreement based on evidence, reason and yes, faith, i.e. faith in the method. There is no science fact or theory that is not subject to rejection in light of new evidence. 4. You asked "How does evolution "reveal God's creation" and since when has this theory been elevated to the status of one of "the truths that science reveals"? Evolution attempts to explain such things as adaptation, diversity, growth and interdependence, in other words, characteristics of life, which is what God is all about. You asked "How can the theory of evolution be reconciled with the Genesis account of creation?" I fail to see why this understanding contradicts Genesis because science can only study the fallen world and Genesis describes events that happened before the Fall, in a time/place we cannot penetrate in any way whatsoever. The gates to the garden are guarded from entry, even by our attempts to extrapolate scientific theories past them. The nature of paradise is completely distinct from the nature of the fallen world. Evolution applies to the fallen world only. Regarding the status of evolution, one need look no further than the fact that it has enabled man to manipulate the machinery of life in unprecedented ways, in much the same way nuclear physics allows us to manipulate energy. Both views have predictive utility as well as provide ways to destroy ourselves. If that's not a good standard for validity, then nothing is, at least in demonstrable practice. 6. You said "The truth is that attempts to promote science by discrediting the Bible will continue to turn people away from God." I agree completely. 7. Regarding your comments about the role of Christ, I agree. Parable |
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167 | By the bible, is nuclear winter possible | Gen 8:22 | Parable | 84424 | ||
First, I'd like to remind everyone not to underestimate our capacity to destroy ourselves and our home. Indeed, we are doing so as we speak. Over population, global pollution, epidemic disease, social injustice, nuclear proliferation, mass extinction and ecological collapse are ever-expanding realities. Second, I respond to the comment "...Darwinism is being rejected by true scientists in increasing numbers as they examine this theory anew and find it seriously flawed." If it is seriously flawed, there would be many articles about these flaws in referreed scientific journals, not just on the internet,which is completely unregulated by peer review, and many "true" scientists would be proposing viable alternatives in the hope they would gain a place in the history of science. To date, none of this is happening. Furthermore, assuming for the moment we can know who the "true" scientists are, the statement about them rejecting evolution is absolutely incorrect. Rather, evolutionary models are being demonstrated in ever more powerful ways. Evolution ranks with quantum mechanics, relativity and atomic theory as foundational to the modern scientific understanding of the physical universe. "True" Christians need not fear the truths that science reveals, for science, when done properly, can only reveal God's creation. Attempts to promote biblical truth by discrediting science will continue to turn people away from God. Fortunately, not everyone believes science and faith are mutually exclusive, including the bible itself. See Romans 1:20. Parable |
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168 | Does God ever change his mind? | 2 Kin 20:6 | Parable | 84410 | ||
Wow. This thread witnesses to the importance of the forum guidelines. Clearly, any question about biblical truth is meaningless if one holds that the bible is not true. It never ceases to amaze me how we can become blind to God's truth by clinging to our own understandings. | ||||||
169 | Believing in the Bible and E.T.'s | Eph 2:2 | Parable | 83015 | ||
Regarding human cloning, if it has not already been done, it will be soon. I believe that the race to clone a human is motivated by three factors; the irresistable pull to accomplish what has not been possible, the resulting fame to those who succeed, and the technological advances that are being be spawned in the meantime and thereafter. You can think of the race to clone a human as similar to the space race of the 60's, which spawned all kinds of "space-age" technology. Of course, the first really good stuff went into top secret weaponry, but eventually the advancements filtered down to consumers. Biotech will be like that, but with far greater impact and at a greatly accelerated pace. There are too many possible consequences to ponder, so again I'll stick with what I think are the two most series issues for believers. 1. It is not clear that a clone is legally a person. That is, a copy of something is not the original. Offspring are not exact copies. Offspring are conceived by the union of two haploid sex cells. But, since a clone is a copy and is not conceived in exactly the same way as the original, it is different from the original from the start, so some may argue that a clone is property. The issue will be if those differences make any difference to being human. Our understanding of personhood will be challenged, perhaps in much the same way it is challenged in the case of abortion. That is, does our definition of being human depend on source of genetic material, manner of conception, course of development, being born, etc. or is it just that the genetic complement falls within the human genome, as recently completed? There are profound legal consequences for how we define a human. If a clone is not a person, then it may be legal to breed them for spare parts for the originals who may need them as they decay. If a clone is a person, can a clone sue the original for knowingly imparting to them some inhereted disease? Is is OK to abort a clone? The list goes on. 2. Medical/biological research is increasingly using evolutionary techniques to explore the ways genetic variations/mutations can be exploited to our advantage. If clones are property, is it OK to use them as bio-factories for drug manufacture or as test organisms for new drugs or gene therapies? Is it OK to genetically modify them so they are just smart enough to do what we tell them, but not smart enough to object to being our servants? Because mankind is fallen, the potential for wickedness is increased because this technology is so powerful. However, in the hands of Godly people, this technology holds great promise as a way to ease suffering and make the world a better place. In any case, Christians need to understand that the foundation of this technology is evolutionary biology. Evolution is well established, so if we don't come to terms with this, we will not be equipped to influence how this technology is used. I submit it is possible to believe in Jesus and accept that evolution is a valid model for the development of life in the fallen world. Parable |
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170 | Believing in the Bible and E.T.'s | Eph 2:2 | Parable | 82874 | ||
Let's start with the discovery of extra-terrestrial life, which I consider to be far less likely than human cloning, which if it has not already been done, soon will be. Such a discovery would shake the foundations of our society. I could speculate about a lot of things that might happen, but the questions that interests me most are: The discovery of any ET lifeforms at all leads to the possibility that there are ET "people". Are the ET people made in His image? If ET people live on other planets, how has God revealed himself to them? Did they sin and fall from grace? Has/is/will Christ appear to them? If so, how did/is/will the gospel unfold for them? What does this mean for how we understand our identity in Christ? Parable |
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171 | Believing in the Bible and E.T.'s | Eph 2:2 | Parable | 82572 | ||
When aliens arrive, we will no doubt try to clone one, then they will eat us :) Seriously, I will consider your excellent questions and reply at a later time. I believe you have opened a big can of nightcrawlers... |
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172 | the meaning of life | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 82520 | ||
This is for those who would like to read in one sitting a good overview of what the Bible says about the meaning of life. The following 40 statements based on scripture are from "The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For?" by Rick Warren. If you want verse references, they're in the book. -------------- It's not about me. I am not an accident. Living on purpose is the path to peace. There is more to life than just here and now. Life is a test and a trust. This world is not my home. It's all for Him. I was planned for God's pleasure. God smiles when I trust Him. The heart of worship is surrender. God wants to be my best friend. I'm as close to God as I choose to be. God wants all of me. God is real, no matter how I feel. I was formed for God's family. Life is all about love. I am called to belong, not just believe. I need others in my life. Community requires committment. Relationships are always worth restoring. It is my responsibility to protect the unity of the church. I was created to become like Christ. It is never too late to start growing. The truth transforms me. There is a purpose behind every problem. Every temptation is an opportunity to do good. There is always a way out. There are no shortcuts to maturity. Service is not optional. I was shaped for serving God. Nobody else can be me. God deserves my best. I serve God by serving others. To be a servant, I must think like a servant. God works best when I admit my weakness. I was made for a mission. God wants to say something to the world through me. The Great Commission is my commission. Blessed are the balanced. Living with purpose is the only way to really live. -------------- |
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173 | Believing in the Bible and E.T.'s | Eph 2:2 | Parable | 82517 | ||
Agreed, but who said anything about scientists? :) | ||||||
174 | Mary | Luke 1:28 | Parable | 81433 | ||
It is tragically ironic that one so blessed should inspire so much controversy within the Body of Christ. Parable |
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175 | access to the tomb? | Matt 27:62 | Parable | 78378 | ||
As always, no offense taken, Tim. I happen to agree it is reasonable to think the guard would confirm their charge was in their possession. However, scripture does not tell us this, and it is important to distinguish what scripture says vs what we assume or infer. I also agree that scripture creates a window of time in which Pilate was petitioned and the guard was posted. Depending on the meaning of the word "day" in "next day", it could mean that the window opens at sundown on Friday. In this case, the tomb could have been unguarded for a very short time, if any. Or, it could mean the "next day" began at sunrise on Saturday, in which case the tomb could have been unguarded throughout the night and even into the morning or afternoon, depending on when Pilate was petitioned. In any case, given that this situation was so politically charged, it is reasonable to think that Pilate was consulted as soon as someone thought to do so. Clearly, the window closes at sundown on Saturday, but this seems inconsistent with the urgent desire to prevent the disciples from coming "by night and steal him away". Peace, Parable |
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176 | access to the tomb? | Matt 27:62 | Parable | 78326 | ||
Greetings Tim, This point IS important because it is ALWAYS raised by those who challenge the idea that the sealed tomb and posted guard preclude the possibility that someone, e.g. the disciples, could have stolen the body from the tomb. As I see it, our faith in the resurrection is based on the totality of the evidence, which I believe is sufficient. However, if we gloss over this detail, we appear insincere to those we witness to, especially when they discover it for themselves in scripture. In my opinion, that scripture has this "vulnerability" only reinforces my faith that it is true. That is, if you were making up a story, you would not have the risen Lord appear to women, who were considered unreliable witnesses in those days, and you would not provide a possible opportunity for the tomb to be raided. Answers that ignore this circumstance or suggest it is not relevant are not credible and do not help those who are seeking the truth of the resurrection. Regarding the idea that the guards would have opened the tomb to confirm the body was still there, this is conjecture. It can be likewise argued that they would not have opened the tomb before placing the seal on it. Parable |
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177 | Ever Doubt God's Existence? | Gen 3:1 | Parable | 78320 | ||
My mistake. Instead of "novel", I should have said "biography". No, make that "autobiography" :) I did not mean to suggest reading for entertainment, but rather the type of engagement that comes from reading smoothly in one's own language, so understanding flows naturally, like how it must have been for His listeners when Jesus was teaching. Parable |
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178 | Ever Doubt God's Existence? | Gen 3:1 | Parable | 78271 | ||
Yes, I will pray for you and all of us in this regard. I have found that The Message, by Eugene Peterson, is an excellent version of the bible in that it is a faithful witness to the text and combines meaningful commentary into the text, which is presented in contemporary language that is sensitive and relevant to our culture today. Of course, some may prefer other versions for various reasons, depending on their purposesm. For example, when I want to study the Word, I use the Nelson NKJV. When I want to learn how to apply the Word, I use the Life Application NIV by Zondervan, but when I want to experience the Word, the way I do when I read a novel, I read The Message. We cannot transform others, only the Holy Spirit can do that, so rather than campaigning, I suggest that we be transformed ourselves and let others see us for what we have become. |
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179 | persecution, suffering, charity | 1 Peter | Parable | 77667 | ||
just clearing the board. P | ||||||
180 | love's sacrifice, God's grace to us | 1 John | Parable | 77642 | ||
just clearing this from the board. P | ||||||
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