Results 181 - 200 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
181 | The question exists in Paul's Theology | Rom 9:18 | JCrichton | 138367 | ||
"God is clean and is not the source of evil or sin" Hi, nwells! Part 1 of 2 I totally agree with this part of your statement... and God did hardened the hearts of some in order to accomplish His Salvific Plan; yet, damnation was never part of God's Plan for any of those people... He closed their understanding so that He may have mercy on all: For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (Romans 11:32) It is great that we understand that at a time God controlled certain people/individuals in order to fulfill His Plan; yet we must also understand that part of that Plan is to free all from the powers of sin: 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18-20, 1 Peter 4:6) It is through God's Mercy that both peoples are made one, and it is through God's power that those once dead were preached to by Christ Jesus, in the Spirit, so that all may be afforded that same Grace: believing in Jesus Christ! (John 11:25-26; Luke 20:38; John 5:21, 25) "Can a fallen man (meaning a sinner, before regeneration) do anything to please God?" Paul tells us that the those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8)... so it goes without argument that those who are not in Jesus cannot please God! The same applies for those who claim to know/have Jesus yet still walk in the flesh and not in the Spirit! |
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182 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138272 | ||
Hi, mommapbs! I think this is just another case of perception of vocabulary... You, as I do, believe that it is Christ who makes us righteousness of God, that apart from Him we are vulnerable to the flesh and fall into sin... I think that perception is where we differ: you believe that we have been cleansed and given a new heart which is righteous; I believe that our righteousness is constantly dependent of Christ; I do not see an automatic exoneration of our sins but a complete dependence on Christ as we seek to abide in Him so that He may abide in us! (1 John 1:5-10) God Bless! Angel |
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183 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138271 | ||
Hi, Ray! Jesus tells us that He is the Truth (John 14:6) and that the words that He spoke are "spirit and life" (John 6:63)... I take into consideration that the Word incarnate reveals who He is: the Truth (in Him there is no deceit: "the Father and I are one") and His words give us Life (this life of course is spiritual life in Him)... so to me Jesus' Word is synonymous or congruent to both His Divinity and Scripture (as all Scripture is God-inspired)... by emphasizing Word I am playing on the spoken Commandment inferred by Jesus' Authority (as in His statement "I am the Resurrection and Life"), the transcendency of Scripture (as God's Word) and the Life that Jesus Word offers us! In John 15:3-6 Jesus is revealing, as He did during so many other occasions, that He has the Power to cleans us, to expunge our sins, with just His Word: sheer Authority: Will; consequently, Scripture, being God's Word, is alive and God's Spirit quicken's our spirits and give us Life though His Word (Scripture)! "Jesus as the Vine" Correct! Jesus is not merely using a picturesque metaphor... He is telling us that He is Life, that we are empty vessels that can be filled with God's Holy Spirit or that we can continue in the vacuousness of human intellect and wisdom (whe know where human intellect and wisdom leads!--Romans 8:6)... so when we allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, we begin to accept Jesus terms (Will), instead of relying on our own abilities--without Him we can do nothing! Romans 3:23-24 explains this sumbiotic relationship that we have with Jesus: we humble ourselves in obedience and He cleanses us, He makes us whole, and He makes us into God's children! It is through Grace that we Live! God Bless! Angel |
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184 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138236 | ||
Hi, mommapbs! The cleansing is there, the renovation is there... yet if we return to the vomit, like the dogs do, how can we shine in purity? Jesus told the disciples that they were all clean--with the exception of Judas, of course--(John 13:10-11)... yet when the test came for them to stand, they all fled--they feared for their own lives instead of owning the words they recently spoke (dying for their Master: Matthew 26:33-35); none of Christ's loyal disciples remained loyal... true Peter followed at a distance, but eventually he failed again as he repeatedly bold-facedly lied about known the Master... and the other disciple was guiding under the built-in guise of being one of the "crowd!" His familiarity with the place and the people where Jesus was being held and judged remained his cover--which he never broke, not once, in defense of Jesus... It is not enough to claim Jesus (John 15:5-6)... if we do not remain in Him and He in us, when we transgress against God which part of our proclaimed rightousness keeps us from the wages of sin?, or does our transgression only count if we do not claim to have a righteous heart? Paul explained it this way: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:15-17) When we obey the flesh (heart, mind, body--pick your choice word) and sin (trangress) against God, which rightous part of us is doing this? If God cannot hold us accountable because we claim to be have a righteous heart, how does God hold others accountable to their transgressions? As long as we stay in Jesus we can do anything, including humbly obeying God's Will, but when we sidestep the Lord and surrender our will to the flesh our "choice," tainted by the desires of the flesh, cannot please God (Romans 8:4-13). Paul called himself the least of the Apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9), not because the others sinned less than he did but because he recognized how he persecuted the Church... he clearly understood that outside of Jesus we are all sinners, wicked trees who cannot produce good fruits (Matthew 7:17-18), so he thanked God that Jesus came to rescue us from ourselves: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:14-25) Consider this, if we are free and clear of unrighteousness, on our own--meaning not abiding in Jesus and Jesus in us, why would we suffer the internal struggle between the desires of the flesh and God's Holy Spirit? If we are new creatures in the Holy Spirit and we are not being lead by unrighteousness, what need do we have of Jesus mediating for us in front of the Father, would our righteousness not keep us from sinning: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:8 thru 2:2) As Paul said, we do the wrong that we seek to avoid, and we do not do the good that we yearn to do... thanks God for Jesus! He is our righteousness in God! God Bless! Angel |
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185 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138165 | ||
Hi, Ray! Excellent reply! I think that part of the poblems we have is grabbing one (some) Scriptural passage and running with it--in this limited scope Scripture seems to contradict Scripture... Yet, when we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the fullness of Truth, we begin to better understand our Lord's Word: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:3-6) Man's heart cannot be anything but wicked and corrupt (Psalms 14:1,3; 53:3; Romans 3:23; 5:12)... yet, in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are made whole onto God! (Romans 3:24-26; 6:11-14, 23; 8:1-17) God Bless! Angel |
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186 | Do babies go to heaven or hell? | Gen 5:24 | JCrichton | 138150 | ||
"we must leave it in God's hands." "I believe there are only two camps - righteous and unrighteous." Hi, Searcher! I think that this issue is summed up in both of your statements, quoted above: there is no Scripture that guarantees entrance to Heaven even for the most tender of our infants or the mentally ill/incapacitated... conversely, who gets to go/not to go to Heaven is not in our hands... You made and excellent point discussing king David and his infant child... you concluded that it is all in the physical realm!: "which is also physical." Yet you seem to jump into a distict conclusion in you next statement: "I believe that all infants who die (who hasn't had a chance to accept Jesus) will be in heaven with Jesus Christ after they die." I agree with this last statement wholeheartedly! Scripture speak about a physical realm that aspires to become a spiritual realm (the Christian trek); it is our Father's own calling: be holy! (1 Peter 1:16)... Jesus tells us that we must be born again (John 3:3) and His precursor, John the Baptist, reveals that Jesus will come to Baptize in the Holy Spirit and Fire (Matthew 3:11)... on the flip side, John and Paul talk about a coming change... one that will perfect the imperfection (1 John 3:1-2; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 15;52-54)... I specially love John's revelation as he emphasizes that he is speaking as a son of God and that he is speaking to sons of God... so there's no technicality involved here... there's no language barrier (Greek, Hebrew, Arameic, Latin... it does not matter!): there is a metamorphosis that the sons of God will undertake at becoming full-fledged citizens of Heaven! This change, of course, is not a physical change (brighter smile, tan, sharp eyes, tallness, thinness...); this is a spiritual change: Paul's vision of incorruptibility! This of couse is granted by God through the Holy Spirit! Who will limit God's Holy Spirit from awakening the spirit of God in a child who is at his/her Mother's womb when death visits? Who will limit God's Holy Spirit from rescuing God's spirit when a mental decease incapacitates a person excluding him/her from maturing in Christ as no amount of preaching/teaching will hold on his/her frozen/innert gray matter... the organ with which we can physically recognizing Christ's Gospels? Who will prohibit God's Holy Spirit from reclaiming the spirit trapped in the man/woman dying of Parkinson, drowning in schizophrenia or one ensnared in a coma--totally detached from the physical world that wishes to disciple him/her in Christ's doctrine? When we stop limiting God we can begin to understand our Faith and Jesus' Word ("if your faith... as a mustard seed!"); Scripture is not set up to limit our growth and salvation; rather, its purpose is to deliver us from death into Life! If we believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and Life, and if we believe His Word (Matthew 3:9), could we not believe that God, who wants all to be saved (Ezekiel 18:30-32), will, though His Mighty and Powerful Holy Spirit, reach and save those who would otherwise not be able to receive a physical discipleship that would introduce and keep them in Christ? Have we not learned from Jesus' parables that God is the ultimate judge and equalizer? (Matthew 20:1-16) God Bless! Angel |
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187 | Take from the wicked give the righteous | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 138105 | ||
"Do unto others as they would want you to do unto them." Hi, Shankara! This rule of course applies within Christ's own Mandates...doing onto others in the Lord our God... There is of course a whole subculture, which is endemic world over, that subscribes to a partial acceptance of that rule... these people are not looking to serve God but to serve themselves and the doing on to others is only exercised when they have something to gain... As you said, morality in the secular term is subjective... today more and more we come to witness that immorality is more the actual norm by which all people are judging themselves and others... outside of Christ's Commandments there is no real morality... when we transgress God's Commandments we are violating Christ's teachings and every good value... there was a time in the US when children chose to emulate only the heroes and heroines of legends and television programs or movies... today, they are urged (both by their parents and merchants) to choose the wicked representations of humanity (monsters, evildoers, prostitutes, pimps...)--to God, relative morality does not count as obedience and worship! Though there are situations which blur God's morality and the world's (such as the question stated on this thread), how Christians accept or reject the wrong values being offered as equitable Christian virtues will determine the true separation of Church and State or the integration of State sponsored values into the Christian culture! Murder is wrong! But this is not because it is a violation of a cross-cultural dictum, but because it is a violation of God's Commandment not to kill! God Bless! Angel |
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188 | Thy will be done, statement or fact? | Matt 6:9 | JCrichton | 138022 | ||
Hi, Steve! We have two very distinct perspective of looking at God and Scripture... you ask me to reply to your conception that God leads us to temptation and that God creates evil... I have! I have offered one example of Scripture after another... you simply just do not see it! If you go back to my very first post on this particular thread and read through the final one (previous to this reply) you will find that my statements are based on Scripture... I will breakdown for you the passage on Peter being called Satan: In his quintessential spontaneity Peter jumps in on Jesus' remark and he replies not with words conforming to God's Will but words, though with good intentions, in his finite human understanding--words that would serve Satan's purpose rather than God's... Jesus admonishes Peter and He calls him Satan! This of course is Scriptural... not only that but they are Jesus' own words! The fact that Peter is called Satan by Jesus in this particular Scriptural passage does not mean that Peter is Satan or that Jesus has somehow mistaken Peter for Satan... My attempt was to prove to you that Scripture does have a particular language which can be confusing if taken out of context or if interpreted apart from the all other Scriptural text. I cannot make any simpler... I cannot offer any enlightenment aside from Scripture... Since you will not see beyond your position, and I will not be able to offer any Scripture that will not be ignore or misinterpreted, I see no point in a continuance of this thread. God Bless! Angel |
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189 | The scriptures and U.S. Mid East Policy | Rev 12:12 | JCrichton | 137876 | ||
Hi, Your frustration is shared by many... I suspect that we have been trained to be tolerant of people and we are blindsided by their duality... I recall that on September 11, and the days following, the general population of many arab nations were filmed rejoicing on the streets over the destruction that befell the US; these people did not seem to be Islamic extremists: they were middle age adults, young adults, and children... they chanted and cheered and burnt US flags! Conversely, these same people and their terrorist murdering friends and relatives would not raise their voice to their own kinsmen--the likes of Saddam and the various ruling families--under whose horrific oppression they starve to death or are tortured to death, despite of the arab nations' control of the wealthiest petroleum deposits in the world... Noticed how not even the western media finds any fault at any of their actions... they come to the US only to spread their hatred for the "infidels" (check news magazines such as 20/20 on indepth study of Islam in the US); these infidels are none other than Israelites and Christians--to be objective, they have killed both Christians and non-Christians in the past--equal murder opportunity, I guess. It is interesting to hear some of them speaking on street corners (US Muslims)... how proud they are that Islam is getting more power... they can't wait for it to be as it was: when infidels were decapitated on site if they did not convert! They also pronounce joyfully how they do everything that Christians do not do! It is the anti-Christ culture that is sweeping the world... most people seem not to want to believe--even as they become more bold and more violent! God Bless! Angel |
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190 | Love sinner Hate sin ? | Ps 5:5 | JCrichton | 137873 | ||
Hi, Hank! You are waaaay correct! How it evaded me... I just don't know! I don't recall a passage that could be it origins... I tried "cleanliness" in several on-line Bibles but couldn't find it... I also tried running down on 4:6--got tired after hitting past Psalms... I could not find "Hezekiah," though I tried Ezekiel, Nehemiah, Jeremiah... no success. God Bless! Angel |
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191 | Thy will be done, statement or fact? | Matt 6:9 | JCrichton | 137814 | ||
"I would like to narrow our discussions to one or two topics and search the scriptures to prove our point." Hi, Steve! I think that your suggestion is a point of excellence! In-depth study of Scripture can yield much... Though I must still disagree with the conclusions you've drawn on God's complete control of existence: "In verse 10 even Job admitted that good and evil come from the hand of God." From your reasoning we must all believe that Peter is Satan since it is Scripturally stated by Jesus: But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.' (Matthew 16:23) Clearly, Jesus does not confuse Peter with Satan... it is simply a matter of language: Peter is holding on to human intellect and thinks that by protecting Jesus from an untimely end he is serving His Lord! Jesus admonishes his lack of understanding and warns him that he is behaving not according to God but according to Satan! Again, Scripture supports the notion that Yahweh lied to Adam and Eve and that the Ancient Serpent told them the truth! (Genesis 3:1-16; and 5:5) The truth is that Adam did die and he took all of us with him! Yet, if we use only the Scripture cited (Genesis 3:1-16 and 5:5) we can come to the wrong conclusion that God lied and that Satan told the truth--we know from Jesus that Satan is a liar, the fathe of all lies; and we know from God's Word that He is Truth! God Bless! Angel |
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192 | Thy will be done, statement or fact? | Matt 6:9 | JCrichton | 137583 | ||
Part 2 of 2 And what about the cults of Satan… are they too not bound by your statement? If we do nothing but God’s Will and many of us commit our lives to wicked and unrighteous acts, is God not guilty, by association, of such wickedness and unrighteousness? For your statement to be correct then my latter supposition must also be correct! But as Christ said: A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:18) This is why I suggest that you rethink your position. Yahweh is a God of order not disorder; a God of Mercy and Love not deception and cruelty! “He leads us into temptation or unto His Son for salvation.” This almost sounds correct… the problem is that it denies Scripture: So in future, House of Israel, I shall judge each of you by what that person does--declares the Lord Yahweh. Repent, renounce all your crimes, avoid all occasions for guilt. Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone--declares the Lord Yahweh--so repent and live!' (Ezekiel 18:30-32--compare with Isaiah 1:18-20) God has not changed! We, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are the “House of Israel” which is commanded to repent and live! God is not leading some to impotence and futility! God leads us all to Christ! The problem lies in that not all of us believe! Not all of us humble ourselves to God’s Will! “Jesus was quite clear about the Father drawing us to Himself.” You are correct! But this does not mean that God draws to Jesus only those who are to be saved… this means that God draws to Jesus all who believe… those who believe will not be rejected by Jesus since they have learned from the Father and have come to Him! (Romans 5:6-20) And though I agree with you that there is a duality of existence within us (flesh and spirit), God does not control either… we are allowed to choose to obey and abide in Him or disobey and reject Him. Jesus call us to abide in Him (John 15:5-6) because only by abiding in Him do we have Life… but when people decide not to abide in Him, Jesus does not coerce their allegiance nor does He smite them. (John 6:53-69; Luke 9:51-56; 1 John 2:18-28; 2 Peter 3:17-18) Jesus prayed to the Father for those whom the Father had given to Him… does that demonstrate that those in the spirit are under God’s control? Quite the opposite! Jesus prays for those that are His (both the disciples and those that would come to believe through their preaching and teaching! He prayed specially for Simon as Satan was asking for special privileges to assault him (Luke 22:31-32); and though Peter receive the delegation of keeping the others united (Luke 22:32; John 21:15-17), Peter ran with the rest of them when Jesus was arrested… to be under God’s protection does not mean to lose our will to choose to serve God or to disobey God! Ultimately, our wills must be submitted to God’s Will or we will perish! But God will not force His Will upon us nor to lead us to condemnation--otherwise He would be contradicting His own Word (Ezekiel 18:30-32; Isaiah 1:18-20; Luke 9:56) “There will be a second resurrection where everyone will be given the knowledge of Jesus and that will be their opportunity.” Sorry… there are no second opportunities but Judgment and a second death! (Revelation 20:4-15) We are called to believe and be saved… not to reject Christ and await one more “chance!” (Romans 3:21-26; John 1:10-13; 3:17-21) God Bless! Angel |
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193 | Thy will be done, statement or fact? | Matt 6:9 | JCrichton | 137580 | ||
Hi, Steve! Part 1 of 2 I know we’ve made strides… so it is with a heavy heart that I once again must disagree with you… “I would like to take specific words of God and Jesus and see if this is what they are implying.” I think that when we read Scripture and we speculate on its meaning we run the risk of seeing (discerning) values that are not coherent with Scripture… True Christ was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan… this does not testifies to God’s leading us to temptation… Jesus, being God, could not be tempted by Satan who is a creature--Satan needed God’s Authority to come near Jesus! And while Jesus’ prayer seemingly implies that God can lead to temptation… it is requesting that He protect us from temptation, not that He protects us from His impulses to lead us to temptation! “In order for the book of revelation to come to fruition, God must make it happen, not us.” I agree with this statement 100 percent! We are insignificant when it comes to God’s Divine Plan… still, we are not mere puppets, mere play pieces on a board game… “Stratego,” if I remember the name correctly, is a strategy board game where pieces are placed and war is enacted in an attempt to capture/destroy the opponent army’s flag?… these pieces are completely inert and impotent! It is not so with God’s Divine Plan! True His Will is done and will accomplish His judgment, but we have been created in His image and likeness… we, humanity, has the potential of being His children, not just mere pawns on a predetermined cosmic campaign. Revelation 16:8-11 attests to humanity resolve not to submit to God’s Will--the wicked perish not because they have been coerced by God or Willed by God to perish, but because they reject His Authority and choose to curse Him rather than to serve Him! “Jesus would not tell us to ask God to lead us not into temptation if God is not leading us.” On the surface this statement seems logical and totally correct… but you yourself stated that we cannot resist Satan, a creature who is but insignificant in light of the Almighty’s Power! How could we resist God if He willed us to be saved or to be damned? How could God claim to be a God of Mercy and Love if He Willfully condemns humanity to a life of depravity only impart Judgment against them for being and doing exactly what He Willed them to be? True, this is said of Pharaoh and Israel and the old pagan world--the world under the Old Covenant… but this is said and these things are done because the Word had not become incarnate as of yet… once Jesus came onto the world, He gave humanity the ability to become sons (children) of God… and since He is God, in His Wisdom He also came to those who existed under the Old Covenant so that all, both the dead and the living, would see and benefit from God’s Mercy. (John 11:24-26; Romans 14:9; 1 Peter 3:18-22) As far as God having any part in our temptation Scripture is resolute on this matter: Never, when you are being put to the test, say, ‘God is tempting me’; God cannot be tempted by evil, and he does not put anybody to the test. Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person’s own wrong desires. Then the desires conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15) “All we do is God’s will.” If this were to be so, what gripe does God have with homosexuals and all other sexual immorality, murderers, thieves, liars, drunks… Does your statement not exonerate the villainous murderers of children and the innocent who wage terrorism on the least suspecting and undeserving? Does it not support organized crime, genocide, infanticide, and rampant corruption--in all scales (public and private realms)? After all, those who kill babies and wholesale/retail their parts for “the good of medical advancement” have only God to blame for giving them their skills, their status, their wealth, and their inclination to profit from the killing of our babies and from the marketing of the byproduct of their murderous trade! |
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194 | How to teach people to hear God's voice? | John 10:4 | JCrichton | 137541 | ||
"After further elucidation I do not find that we differ much in our theology on this topic." Hi, Doc! I concur! Also, I believe that much of our arguments (Christian variation in Scriptural views) is due to vocabulary--we term the same theologies in different words which, as free agents, are open for interpretation: many times the thought being conveyed is not received because the receptors' vocabulary is different... "I just want God to tell me Himself!" The person you alluded to is a clear example of vocabulary/language gone wrong... once made aware of Scripture (though I would have quoted to verse 17)--which is the Word of God, and the Word being Spirit and Life it was God Speaking to her... she was stubbornly unreceptive because her '"I know what the scripture says! I just want God to tell me Himself!"' denied that God was Speaking to her through you by the Power of His Word! She desired something and would not listen to Scripture that told her that she was misguided (James 4:1-10) because she wanted God to tell her what she wanted to hear! All communication, specially with God, has a serious drawback: COMMUNICATION IS A TWO-WAY STREET! We often come to God not truly seeking His Wisdom and Will, but predisposed to our obsessions! James was very succinct about this: "When you do pray and do not receive, it is because you prayed wrongly, wanting to indulge in your passions." "If we don't like the answer we find in scripture, somehow we think we can find a loop hole somewhere." Sadly, it goes even beyond that... we attempt to use Scripture to create loopholes! God Bless! Angel |
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195 | I need verses that say God is the ONLY 1 | Mal 2:10 | JCrichton | 137470 | ||
Hi, In! Biblical Language is sometimes confusing... specially when some passages seem to be contradicting themselves... When Yahweh says that no one else is God but Him or that He is a jealous God, He is not implying that there exist lower level gods! God speaks to His people, Israel, and He reveals much to them in order to keep them from failing, from sinning against Him. It is made clear by God that anything or anyone other than Himself being held or worshipped as a god is not a got at all. He warns that He is a jealous God who will exact punishment on those who reject Him for those who are not gods! Here's Paul assessment of God's uniqueness: Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:19-21) Idols are anything which man holds to be a god or that is placed above God (inclusive of both concrete and abstract elements--a car; money; a person; an idea; lust; love; food; an animal; jewelry...)... to be in league with an idol is to be in league with demons and we cannot share both the worship of God, who is a jealous God, and worship of demons! There are various passages in Scripture that explains this relationship of God vs. idols/gods... one of my favorites is found in Jeremiah 10:1-21: Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel. This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." No one is like you, O LORD ; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple- all made by skilled workers. But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. "Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.' " But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance- the LORD Almighty is his name. Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege. For this is what the LORD says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured." Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, "This is my sickness, and I must endure it." My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My sons are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD ; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered. Two other passages that you should read are: Isaiah 44:6-20 and Jeremiah 2:8-37. Yahweh is the Lord, God, and there are no gods beside Him! (Isaiah 42:8; 43:10; 48:11; 45:14) God Bless! Angel |
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196 | How to teach people to hear God's voice? | John 10:4 | JCrichton | 137459 | ||
"another metaphor." Hi, Doc! There are certain words that evoke passion from me when they are used to characterize God... metaphor and allegory are kind of on top--though they have similar meanings they are both used too frequently to discredit the Bible! You continually use metaphor in discribing God's relationship to man... I cannot be but passionate! Since you have expanded on your initial statement I am inclined to believe that you are not seeking to limit God's Authority nor the means that He chooses to communicate with humanity! I do not disagree with you about the authority of Scripture nor the that personal experience is subject to Scripture... I must add that most of the problem lies not in God communicating with us but in us not being receptive to God as the Holy Spirit was sent to be both the Guide and Comforter of the Church... to remove the Holy Spirit as an active force in the Church would be to deny Christ's own Word! (John 16:13; 17:15-23) "it drives us to our knees." ...here you misunderstand my example... there are many who believe that the only time God communicates with us is through some explosive visual effect that drops us to our knees... this is used primarily as theatrics by some to give their claims credence in the eyes of man! Bowing down to God's Authority or as a sign of respect when we seek His counsel or His companionship is an act of worship... but expecting that God will produce some pyrotechnics to provide us with indisputable proof that He is communicating with us... well... God needs no help! I appreciate your diligence in contributing to the forum... I will be praying for you... Personal note: I do not expect that all my points of arguement be replied to... I do get passionately involved in my replies when I feel that much is being left unsaid, when a reply seems to glaze over the query or when certain sound bites are introduced... I offer my apologies for any strong replies that I may offer--I do not seek to test anyones mettle... I just seek to offer the clearest possible response when engaging a topic--even if it means sacrificing simplicity... God Bless! Angel |
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197 | How to teach people to hear God's voice? | John 10:4 | JCrichton | 137371 | ||
Hi, Doc! So are you saying that God has no means of communicating with us? Are you saying that aside of Biblical Text God is mute? Are you saying that anyone who claims to have some communication from God is deluting him/herself or is making things up? Personal Experience: Some years back I was struggling with my Faith... things were going well on some aspects of life but I wanted more--and fast! I had resolved that there was no God! I could not find evidence that God existed outside of "Faith;" that is, God was what people deemed God to be--Christians the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; others whatever they called him/her... I was drowning! I did not want to read the Bible! I did not want to hear a man make a speech! Yet... I was questioning Jesus! I was asking for answers! I was asking for proof! ...for several years I traveled the same path to and from work... I basically met or saw the same people on a dialy basis--sometimes more than once since I left the office during the various breaks... not once did anyone ever addressed me other than the courteous greeting that New Yorkers give each other... sure the merchants are friendly, but, mostly, people go on their own business exchanging empty smiles and glances... It was not so on this particular day! There was this one guy who I'd often seen loading and unloading cleaning equiptment and suppies who out of the blue (we had never exchange a single word prior to that fateful day) said to me: "Jesus loves you." He did not say anything more! He did not know anything about my life or my thoughts! Yet, he knew to give me a reply which I needed to hear... I wanted to know from Jesus what was up! Jesus replied: "I love you!" There were no pamplets exchanged... there were no tracts inviting me to join some ministry! It was a simple: "I am working here: I love you!" Now, there is a limitless amount of possibilities for what transpired... this fellow could have been practicing a greeting that was required of him by his congregation... he could have been slacking in his duties and decided to connect with the very next person that walked by... he could have been clairvoyant... I could have been sending out psychic messages and he could have been one of those "specially receptive" minds... he could have been a member of my Church and noticed that I had been absence for a while... I rather err on the side of Christ: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63) How do we limit Scriture to textual expression? How do we limit God to communicate with man by our finite means? True, there is no formula for teaching people to hear God's calling... even Scripture is silent on how it was done, Jesus only said that those who went to Him could have done so only if the Father sent them... there was no Bible then... the Torah and other religious text were closely guarded by the Jews to the exclusion of all non-Jews and all non-authorized (secular) Jews... how did the Father communicate with the publicans, the average Jew, the sinner? ...these people did not have access to a personal Bible nor to partial Scriptural text! Am I saying that whenever someone gets up on a pulpit and claims that he/she is speaking for God because God told him/her "x" or "y" that that person's words are Scripture? Adamantly, no! What I am saying is that we have no authority on limiting how, when, and to whom God can or cannot communicate with! God does not need to drop us to our knees, as He did with Saul, in order for His communication with us to be valid... however, any claim that contradicts Scripture is judged by the Word and is made invalid! God Bless! Angel |
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198 | Provide Refernece for Single World Gov | Rev 13:17 | JCrichton | 137362 | ||
"Often the questions have me studying again and again. I love it." Hi, Lisa G! I agree with you completely! Isn't it wonderful how we help ourselves by bringing others to Christ?! I see it as part of God's Salvation Plan... I mean, we are called individually to God, but we are responsible for bringing the Good News to others--there's no vertical spirituality... we Love God only as a reflection of God's own Love for us and He requires us to Love mankind! "the beast will hate women" There are two specific passages that speak on this subject (Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12:1-6, 12-17)--it is the war on Christ and His brethren... though there will be many (anti-Christs) who will introduce apostasies twisting the Gospel of Christ into anti-Christian doctrines some requiring that people do not marry (perhaps this is where homosexuality comes in) others subverting all of God's Laws (natural, spiritual, and ordinance)... we see these apparitions taking place all over our society (national and international) where a controlling minority dictate social conscience as they push their values onto us in the guise of "political correctness"--translation: if it makes money and indulges the masses it is correct... Little does the world suspect that it's being lead astray as sheep lead to the slaughter house! (see Romans 1:18-32) "So many topics to study..." Just one topic at a time... remember that to the Lord we are all seen in the same level: no one will get ahead of anyone else! Jesus' concern is that we all participate, that we all work His vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) So just continue your path in the Lord, He will provide all the advancement you need as He makes His queries to your heart and to your spirit both through your own internal desire to know Him deeper and wider and through the needs of those He will continue to send to you! God Bless! Angel |
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199 | Thy will be done, statement or fact? | Matt 6:9 | JCrichton | 137359 | ||
Hi, Steve! I begin to understand your positon a lot better... and I must agree with you, in part! As far as Salvation (both Israel's and the Gentiles') God's Will is imposed upon humanity... this is clearly evident by the choices God made (Isaac over Ismael; Jacob over Esau; Ephraim over Manasseh; Moses over Aaron; David over Saul; Salomon over David... The very specific selection of Judges and Prophets; the specilization in creating both an atmosphere of rebilliousnes and apathy so that: a) Pharaoh would refuse to free Israel so that God's Power could be revealed; b) the pagan world's total embrace of abomination and desecration in order to provide Israel with an opportunity to occupy the Promised Land; c) Israel's constant disobedience and disloyalty so that the Gentiles could be given the opportunity to be saved... There were very specific tasks given to certain individuals--tasks that had to be performed in order for the Salvation Plan to take effect as predestined by God... the poeple of Israel were made blind and deaf so that they could not see and understand (with the exception of the chosen/select)... There were also the "players" that were crucial to the persecution/death of Christ (king Herod, the high priest, Judas Iscariot, religious elite, Pontius Pilate...); then there were the "players" involved in the Redemption part of the Plan (Mary, Jesus' Mother, John the Baptist; the pastors (sheep herders) the three wize men; the Eleven, the various true believers, the verious sick/lame people, the crucified thief...); This part of God's Salvation Plan was scripted--and the various "actors and actresses" could do nothing but play their part! To this point God's Will is imposed as with Creation where everything that He said was done and nothing that was said was not done! But within Creation there were variants which God allowed to take place: God did not create Death, but it was introduced! God did not create evil, but it came to exist! God did not create Satan, but he chose to remake himself in his own image! God did not create wicked/evil angels--these fell pray to Satan and their vanity! God did not create wicked/evil people--these followed the appetite of the flesh to the exclusion of God's Authority! It is not God's Will that some be saved while others perish! It is not God's Will that Salvation (Christ) belong to a few while perdition be embraced by the majority! It is not God's Will to see Israel annihilated! It is not God's Will to have anyone reject Christ! Salvation is the ultimate equalizer: In Christ Jesus God is redeeming the world onto Himself so that no one has any excuse not to receive the Gift of Salvation for all who believe will be saved! (Ephesians 2:12-22) Sadly, as the prophet Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed? (I am paraphrasing) (Romans 10:16) It is man's prerogotive to obey, submit himself to God's Authority and receive Salvation! (John 11:25-26; Matthew 20:20; 26:28; John 3:17-21; 12:47; 1:1-5, 9-13; also see Jesus' equalization on the Cross, making the Father accessible to all (Jews and non-Jews) in Romans 9:1 through 11:32) Still, it is God's Will that we choose Life (Jesus) and be saved not that we embrace disobedience and perish, but we are given the opportunity to choose Life (Deuteronomy 30:19): So in future, House of Israel, I shall judge each of you by what that person does--declares the Lord Yahweh. Repent, renounce all your crimes, avoid all occasions for guilt. Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone--declares the Lord Yahweh--so repent and live!' (Ezekiel 18:30-32--compare with Isaiah 1:18-20) God Bless! Angel |
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200 | The laws of the bible in todays world | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 137352 | ||
Hi, Hank! Thank you for your words of encouragement... I too have felt those moments of discoragement and following various threads contributed to by you and others have bolster my spirit and confirmed that Christ's Word is still alive today! Thank you again for your kind words... I do have a little clarification... though my name is not a typical male name in the US... I am one of very few guys that have it! (I say one of the few because, with the exception of two acquaintances I had (French and Italian), I've not met any other guys with this name--well aside from the televesion Angel (the vampire with a soul). God Bless! Angel |
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