Results 201 - 220 of 1444
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
201 | Please Explain Matt 28:16-20? | John 10:30 | JCrichton | 148457 | ||
Hi, Montyb! Matthew 28:16-20 is Jesus' great commission to His disciples... Jesus delegates to them the task of bringing all men to the fold, He reveals to them the Holy Trinity and encourages them to be strong and to fulfill their duties as He promises that He will be with them always! When we read the Holy Scripture and we compare the various texts (the Gospels and the Epistles, specially) we find, amongst other things, that: a) Jesus taught us that He and the Father are One, b) God is Spirit, c) God, as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, indwels in the Believers, d) God, as the Holy Spirit guides and teaches the Church, e) Jesus, though no longer found in a physical state, comes to those who gather, in His Name... Since the Word is God, and God is Omnipresent, Jesus, as the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, can assure His disciples (all Believers) that He will remain with us forever--this makes His commission an easier task to perform... as long as we abide in Him! God Bless! Angel |
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202 | What happened to following 1 Cor.14 | Gal 3:3 | JCrichton | 148454 | ||
Hi, Tim! I met a few from a Brazilian/Spanish group "El Camino" or "The Way" they too were cultish... rather than speaking on the original "Way," their motivational speakers spoke about all the things they were accomplishing (building churches, radio towers, and other success stories), they made it all spritual by addiding that they followed "el Camino!" (Funny, was there not some vehicle called el camino?) If we remove Christ from the pulpits and our lives... the way is basically emptied of Grace and Hope! God Bless! Angel |
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203 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148453 | ||
Hi, Doc! I did not say nor implied that we on our own can regenerate our sinful state... what I am saying is that in Christ we are called to be holy and that we must abide in Him (obey Him) in order to become holy and to be counted amongst His saints! Just to cite an example... in North America there are many who, through birth or oath, are said to be "Americans..." yet, deep in their hearts, their allegiance is to their birth lands or their forefather's birth lands... As Christians, we cannot be as double-minded... He will spit us out! God Bless! Angel |
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204 | What happened to following 1 Cor.14 | Gal 3:3 | JCrichton | 148291 | ||
Hi, Bobby Conner! The Church evolves (develops/moves forward)... there was a time when the Apostles and disciples spoke of "the Way;" I can't remember when last I've heard of such expression... there was also a time when the disciples (Apostles included) were called or referred to as those following the Way/Name... then, while at Antioch, someone/s, who remains anonymous, began to call Jesus' disciples as "Christians..." it stuck! In the early Church much of the missionary journeys and preaching were done by one or two Apostles with one (or more) disciple in tow... clearly it would be contrary to God's teaching if all arouse and all began to preach and speak in strange tongues... it would be much as the mayhem experienced when several people shout over each other in an attempt to win the crowd over... God is a God of order not chaos! If you read Scripture carefully you will find that Jesus told Simeon that he was kephas (Peter) and that on that rock He would build His Church, that he was given the keys to the Church, that what ever he tied or loosen on earth so it would be in Heaven, and that not even the gates of Hell would be able to stand (succeed) against the Church--that was the last clear statement Jesus made... well aside from putting them on notice that He would send the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, from the Father and that it would be He who would teach us and guide us to the fulness of Truth!... Christ's Church is guided by the Holy Spirit... if we reject one idea because it does not clearly appear as Biblical... would we not be curtailing and censoring the Holy Spirit? ...if we live in extremes, would we not find that the Church operated out of personal homes of some of the disciples and that Christians should regress to that form of gathering?... that Christians lived in communes sharing the various jobs and resources and that any "Christian" that does not divest him/herself of material wealth is an anti-Christian?... and, if hyper-extreme, could we not fall into the erroneous belief that we no longer need to preach or teach anyone about God since Scripture unequivocally tells us that in those days He will infuse our hearts and minds with His Knowledge--the Holy Spirit... would it not be superfluous, in extreme reasoning, to attempt to teach and preach to others when God has already done so? (Hebrews 8:6-11; John 14:16-26; 15:26 thru 16:15) You are correct in wondering about the changes... Paul tells us that we are to search all things (teachings), rejecting that which is evil and holding on to that which is good... we can determine what is good by listening to the Holy Spirit as He teaches us, through Scripture, about the Truth. (Galatians 1:6-12; 2 Peter 1:20 thru 2:22) God Bless! Angel |
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205 | What kind of man was Jonah? a prophet | Jonah | JCrichton | 148266 | ||
Hi, starfish960! As with many of the writers/prophets we are only offered a glancing stat sheet... many times we connect the dots, at other times we simply do not have enough numbers to formulate much more than a personal projection... it is similar to the telephone/internet where we formulate a mental depiction of others from what/how they express themselves... Jonah was a fervent servant of God... he had much of Peter's and Job's characteristics: quick to formulate, quick to act, shortsighted when it came to working on his own... He was given a simple task (from God's perspective)... one which he failed miserably! But he was no slouch... he, as Paul, burned with eagerness to serve God; yet, also as Paul, Jonah failed to understand that by carrying out his own agenda he was truly not serving God! Here's a servant of God who has witnessed or is clearly aware of God's mercy (not recorded but inferred--see Jonah 4:2), who burns with the passion of the sons of Zebedee (Luke 9:54-56), who sees the callousness of the wicked people to whom he is being sent as meriting nothing more than extermination... he boils with jealousy for his God and fears that God will have mercy upon those who are completely oblivious to His generosity... Jonah is resolute in his determination to avoid his task; yet, when others come into peril do to his personal disobedience, he is quick to keep the innocent from harm--not that they were necessarily pure of heart and mind--simply, that their lives were threatened by his actions... Through Jonah God teaches us many things... two salient points are: a) God's will is done no matter what, and b) God always sees the whole picture and is patient with His servants because He knows how extremely limited we are! God Bless! Angel |
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206 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148257 | ||
Hi, regguh! I wanted to add: Compared to the Old Testament, the saints are the the holy people of God... Yahweh Himself calls Israel gods and commands them to be holy as He is Holy... this, of course, does not mean that Israel (as a whole) was a nation of holy people who humbly obeyed God and joyfully lived in adherance to His Commandments... conversely, Paul and the other Apostles (and disciples) were keenly aware that amongst them there were those who were not saints of Christ... the various letters attest to the battle waged on the Church by the Ancient Serpent as the unmature and the incredulous would join the Church... When we look at Scripture, as a whole, we can better understand that we are called to be holy (saints) and it is through adherance to Christ that we achieve that rebirth: walking in the Spirit (Holy Spirit); becoming God's holy people! God Bless! Angel |
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207 | Difference between Offering and Tithing? | Heb 7:5 | JCrichton | 148250 | ||
Hi, Spiritual Nourishment! The difference between tithings and offerings are eviden by reading Hebrews 7:5 (which refers us to the Old Testament where the tribe of Levi was separated for Temple/Worship service and were not allowed to own property/land... through the Temple tithing God provided for them) and comparing Scripture from Romans 12:8-21, 2 Corinthians 8:1 thru 9:12, and others... The institution of the Tith was the mechanism by which God's people would provide for the Temple (provisions for the tribe of Levi, the construction and maintenance of the Temple, with the inclusion of labor and material, and the forging of the various objects of worship), and the needy in Israel. The offerings then and now were additional "free will" gifts made to God by Israel... ultimately, we find that, in the New Testament, since Christians are not obligated to prove for the Temple (destroyed by the Romans in about 70 AD) nor the tribe of Levi tithing is not mentioned as a means to provide for the Church and the needy... rather, free and cheerful offering is expected from all Christians--according to their means and their individual desire to give thanks to God (through the Church and the needy) for providing us all that we are! Peter makes a profound statement in Acts 5:1-10: there is no mandate in what we give to the Lord... but we must give with full knowledge and charity: if we can only afford little, we should not attempt to boast about giving much... if we can give much, we should not attempt to cheat God by claiming that we are unable to give generously... ultimately, Jesus, the One who can see our most intimate secret thoughts, will hold us accountable to our actions (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)... Hence, though we are released from the obligation of the Tithing as imputed to Israel, our obligation to Christ is in effect and applicable to our personal means: we must bring our offerings to Christ with a joyful and charitable heart! God Bless! Angel |
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208 | Why do some sermons misrepresent truth? | Rev 22:18 | JCrichton | 145532 | ||
Hi, Gilderd! As erroneous as they are, too many "Christians" are taking way too many liberties with the Holy Scripture... Just recently, as I was channel surfing, I began to slow down when I noticed that the program contenct was Christian... but I almost got a whiplash as I promptly left the channel: the speaker was inducting others into a special familiarity that he has with God... he promised that God did not mind when we got mad at Him! I don't recall Jesus teaching us to be mad at God nor to disrespect Him... Yeah, Moses challenged Yahweh (most likely God wanted Moses to stand for the Hebrews)... yeah, Jacob fought Him (though not clearly evident, God challenged him to seak high things from Him)... yeah, Abraham tested His resolve (Abraham spoke for the people, never against God)... yeah, Jonah refused to carry out God's Command (he misundestood God's Mercy and was acting zelously in regards to the people's disrespect towards God)... as far as I can recall, every single incident where one of God's servants seem to challenge God, they were genuinely seeking to serve Him better... and every single intimacy (relationship or moment) was originated by God! Today, many intimate a deeper and more spiritual relationship with God than He has allowed to all of His servants, including any whom He has called "friend!" Don't simply get angry at these occurances... pray for each and everyone of them... that the Holy Spirit enlightens them and they humble themselves to God... pray also for those who, in ignorance, embrace all sorts of strange and anti-Christian doctrines because they seem new and "freeing!" God Bless! Angel |
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209 | Masturbation used to expel sexual urge? | Bible general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 145530 | ||
Hi! Glad to be of help! God Bless! Angel |
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210 | found another opinion which may be wrong | Joshua | JCrichton | 145529 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! Excellent testimony! It is Jesus who binds His followers, not fate, the stars or some other mumbo jumbo! May our Lord continue blessing your home with love, joy, and harmony! God Bless! Angel |
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211 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145528 | ||
Hi, Tim! Point 1: I agree with you completely! Point 2: I disagree with your "either or" conclusion... I have simply stated that much of the argument for Judas' damnation does not take into consideration much of the actual experience... I agree with your statement on God's mercy and Judas possible demise... yet, this is not how it has been expressed on this thread... the exposition has been that God destined Judas to fail than condemned him for it! I sought to introduce all the factors and the possibility that since Judas was destined to perform a horrific part in the Salvific Plan, God's Mercy would extend to him in accordance to his powerlessness when it came to fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus' betrayal! But, as you pointed out, not everyone is able to see (observe) Judas from my perspective! God Bless! Angel |
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212 | did house churches effect comm. living? | Acts 2:44 | JCrichton | 145489 | ||
Hi, taylorgirl77! Though the practice of living together or of sharing everything was inspired by the Holy Spirit... this communal living is not as those practiced throughout time where a few get everything and control everyone in a cult or cult-like environment... we find that the necesities of the times dictated for the Church of Christ to be found in local houses, deserts and other wilderness locations... there is even evidence that Christians gathered (if not lived) in the catacombs of Rome... still, throughout the Church's infancy there were people living in a communal or communal-like environment while others would continue to live in their own townships and homes... a few would no doubt be part of some mobile community that would bridge all the Christians communities throughout the missionary geographical areas... One thing is constant, Christians are called to aide others, specially their Christian brethren! God Bless! Angel |
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213 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145488 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! I understand the argument... however people forget the fact that not one of the twelve had the spiritual acumen to see beyond the physicality of the moment... Judas, specially, had little if any true faith... Judas was remorseful and he initiated a restoration (buy back) of the Innocent Man... Judas' dealings was not in an obscure sector of town; he dealt directly with the chief priests and elders: 3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That's your responsibility.” 5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5) I have no knowledge of the Greek/Hebrew original texts so I cannot contest anything dealing with precise translations... however, it would seem implausible that a nobody like Judas would be allow to come close to the Holy of holies--at best, the temple guards would be in dereliction of duties; at worst, the chief priests and the elders would be guilty of conducting a murderous affair inside/about the Holy of holies! ...either way, I see Judas' act as that of impotence and irreconcilable guilt: he did all that he could do, yet he could not undo his error! Had Judas taken the ill-gotten silver and splurge on himself; then, coming out of the high (no not suggesting that he was using drugs--I am speaking metaphorically), attempt to negociate Christ's release with monies he did not have (the failure would have been totally his), then I would find that his feelings of regret were due to the short-lived meriment that the silver offered him, not to his realization that Jesus as Innocent... there would be no heartfelt repentance... there would be no actual anguish in his heart, mind and spirit... But Judas did not act like someone coming out of a drug-induced high--promising everyone that he/she would never do it again while hoping to lower anyone's guard enough to steal, beg or borrow the money for the very next high! Judas woke up, reached for those who were supposed to be Israel's spiritual leaders, declared that Jesus was innocent, sought to purchase His freedom (life) back... since he was not successful, he did not take the silver and drowned himself in alcohol, other drugs or sexual orgies... in his desperation, he rejected the ill-gained silver by throwing it at his enablers and finding that disposing of the silver was not enough, he killed himself. We can choose to interprete Scripture in a manner that denies Judas God's Mercy or we can choose to believe that God's Mercy knows no bounds and allow God, the only One who truly saw into Judas' heart and spirit, to determine his guilt or restoration! God Bless! Angel |
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214 | N.A. or not? | Mark 4:20 | JCrichton | 145487 | ||
Hi, prayon! The problem is that many profess but few stand... Jesus said that anyone who would be ashamed of Him in front of man, He would be ashamed of him/her in front of His Father, in Heaven (Mark 8:38)... however, many wish to be "politically correct" and they avoid any issue that would testify that they are of Christ... We are not called by Jesus to shove testimonials or Scripture down anyone's throat... so we must be amiable in the way we present ourselves... this means that we must always gauge the environment/person that we are engaging in order to not create chaos/discord instead of enlightenment and hope! ...and I do not worry about getting Him into the conversation... for every Christian, this is nothing more than second nature... it is like getting up in the morning (we do not think about what to do, we simple go through a sequence of events that requires little or no alteration); Jesus is not something we put on but something we put in... we carry Him along wherever we go! God Bless! Angel |
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215 | found another opinion which may be wrong | Joshua | JCrichton | 145486 | ||
Hi, Chusarcik! I think that when we tend to throw in all sorts of things into the cooking pot, the only outcome is pot-luck surprise! Superstition deems the number 13 as bad luck... it is interesting to visit some of New York City's tall buildings: the elevators do not have a 13th floor on them... this shows how powerful superstition can be! However, we are speaking of the Holy Scripture and God... God does not employ nor allow for any superstition! I do not know the origin of the superstition about the number 13 (it could predate Christ--I just don't know); but what I know is that Christ made a specific selection: 12 disciples! These twelve disciples are to mirror the twelve tribes of the Old Testament... and though Christ was among them, it was truly God-with-us that was among the twelve (Isaiah 55:8-9) so the number of equal elements is still twelve! Yet, even if we were to count Jesus with the twelve, would the new Judas (not Iscariot) not be also the thirteenth since the Holy Spirit precided above the twelve and worked directly with them to establish the Church? Further, if we do not count the Holy Spirit, would then Paul not be the thirteenth... he called himself an apostle (even if he suggested that he was the least of them)... so it would seem that the most recorded apostle to the Gentiles would be battling against the forces of evil and the inherited bad omen! We find that Paul was very pleased to be Christ's apostle... he deemed his commission a great honorable one and just as he, erroneously, persecuted the Church, he made it a point to always excel in his ministry!... that thirteen thing just did not slow him a bit! The Twelve Tribes... It is revealed in Scripture that there are Twelve Tribes... that Scripture does not explain itself it is understandable: the Word of God is the Word of God... He has no need to explain Himself to us! So we start with the original names of the twelve sons of Jacob... journey through early changes (Levi separated from the Twelve--11 are left; Joseph temporarily removed from the list 10 are left; the names of two of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are introduced as part of the Twelve--12 are left... Then, in Revelation 7, we find that there are new changes: Dan is completely removed from the Twelve (perhaps for their inability of keeping their land and having to live annexed to one of the othe tribes)--11 left; Levi is reinstated as part of the Twelve--12 left; Ephraim is interchanged with Joseph--still 12 left! So we find that though a total of fourteen names and thirteen actual tribes existed, Israel is composed of only Twelve Tribes! God Bless! Angel |
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216 | Doesn't your answer make it 13 tribes? | Joshua | JCrichton | 145481 | ||
Hi, Chusarcik! It is not what I believe it is what Scripture tells us: The Twelve Tribes of Israel are named after the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel)... however, the tribe of Levi would not inherit (possess) any of the promised land and they were separated by God to care for all matters of worship and temple/tent duties... this would mean that there would be a distribution of land and labor among 11 not twelve tribes... the name of Joseph was temporary removed and the names of Jeseph's two children (Ephraim and Manesseh) replaced Joseph's name (again there are twelve names for the twelve tribes of Israel)... In the book of Revelation (chapter 7) we find that Ephraim has been replaced by Joseph (remember that Ephraim though the youngest of the two brothers was blessed by Jacob with the first-born blessinngs--the line of succession continues!)... however, this change alone would not keep the number of trives at twelve... there is the omission of Dan and the reinstatement of Levi which makes the number twelve the magic number for the Twelve Tribes of Israel... If you require additional information (Biblical passages) please feel free to ask for them. God Bless! Angel |
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217 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145441 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I agree with your statement completely! We are all found in various levels of knowledge and understanding (spiritually)... spiritual maturity comes with dependence and Faith in Christ... our confidence is that He is our Salvation! My concern is that much too many times we find people who profess to be "saved" and through their actions they are in complete contradiction of their statement of faith! Too many times these are the models for many who seek to limit their responsibility in Christ... As you noted, many times we are not able to assist others during church service/meetings... our task, I believe, is to be ready, as Jesus commanded us, to testify to anyone anywhere (supermarket, office, school, restaurant, road, while visiting friends and relatives, on-line, while shopping, while answering/screening our calls); the best way is to simply convey the message (no heavy preaching, no patronizing, no issuing of pamphlets... heavy listening, heavy determination to assist/guide/teach; heavy life of prayer!)... One thing to keep in mind... our responsibility is not to convert people... as Christ's messengers our obligation is to bring to others the Good News! Sometimes... it seems that there is little that I am able to accomplish... then I meet someone and we end up speaking about the Lord for hours or I see an elderly woman smile that confident smile that means that we are walking the path together or someone tells me of answered prayer! I believe that if you look back you will find that you are guiding many onto the Path... sometimes a simple joyous "We are starting/involved with a Bible study group," may be all that you hear... you may never know how many people you have reached through one person that you have assisted/brought to Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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218 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145440 | ||
Hi, kalos! Do you see what we do (humanity)? Notice how we love to crucify others: ""...with remorse [with little more than a selfish dread of the consequences] he (Judah) brought back the thirty pieces of silver" Who was that person who was there when Judas return the coins? How intimate must he have known Judas to have been able to read his mind and heart or have had a direct confession by Judas... one that he could hold near his heart and not reveal till hundreds of years later! This is exactly why Scripture tells us that God's Way is not our ways! This is exactly why Jesus tells us that He gives us His peace, not the peace of the world! This is why Jesus cautioned that we would be judged with the same measure as we judge others! And this is why Jesus commanded us to have mercy and to forgive so that our Father in Heaven would have mercy and forgive us! ""Judas felt the sting of his own guilt, but this was not genuine repentance. There is a godly sorrow that leads to repentance, but Judas' remorse was of a different kind, as demonstrated by his suicide" Isn't if wonderful... when we can come to a conclusion based on what some does not know... how we can determine the faith and spirituality of others... how we can speak for God in matters of Mercy and Salvation? Nothing in Scripture limits God! Our finite understanding always pushes us to think and rationalize in human terms... yet, we tend to use a faulty balance when we need to accomodate and appease our own conscience or those who we seek to please! We even blind ourselves to utter facts: Judas was destined by God to betray Jesus, just as Peter was destined to deny Him three times! Comparing Peter's and Judas' standings (faith, sincerity of purpose, degree of transgression, emotional and spiritual capacity, realization of guilt and self-condemnation...) is like comparing a Christian to a non-Christian: they both have issues; yet, neither is able to understand the other's perspective! We are quick to seek retribution for Judas' betrayal of Jesus... yet we deny and betray daily... and some of us do not even want to be held accountable for our transgressions! God Bless! Angel |
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219 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145438 | ||
Hi, Kalos! Again, Faraoh was made blind to God's Power... this did not happen because he was a greater sinner than any of the other pagan kings... this happened because he happened to be the king enslaving Israel at the appointed time of God's deliverance! In the same manner, Judas was Jesus' betrayer not because he had the greatest and deepest sins in Israel, but simply because he was destined by God to initiate Jesus' crucifixion... Many choose to believe that Judas had complete control in what he did or that there was no need for him to betray Jesus because the high priest and the others would eventually manage to "get" Jesus... God's Plan does not count on man's intercession... it is the other way around: God intercedes in order that His Divine Plan comes to terms! Scriptures are beautiful when used properly, closing salvation on Judas is not a factor of Scripture for Jesus was clear that only one sin would not be forgiven of man and He asked the Father to forgive those who would crucify Him! God Bless! Angel |
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220 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145435 | ||
Hi, kalos! You have missed the argument completely! Not one of the twelve showed any "genuine saving faith." Once Jesus stopped Peter from using violence as a deterrant to His arrest, fear blinded their minds and hearts and they all fled Jesus side (including the young man who was wearing nothing but a sheet and fled completely naked when he faced the danger of being held along with Jesus)... We can apply all of our hindsight and claim that we would have never left Jesus' side... that we would have had the valor and resolve to face His captors... but had we truly been there, which one of us would not have fear death, which one of us would not have denied Jesus, which one of us would have had the strength to fight God and refuse his commission to betray Jesus? We are so permissive and conforming that we seek to excuse almost every single behavior (suicide is OK; divorce is OK; abortion is our right; homosexuality is fine...) while still claiming to serve Christ... Judas did not have our advantage: he did not have our ability to chose to serve Jesus, our Lord and God! Further, I urge you to rethink God's Mercy and His ability to choose to be Merciful... He is not obliged to follow any prescribed formula... God is the Author of Love and Mercy! He is free to have mercy on whom He pleases! (Romans 9:15) God Bless! Angel God Bless! Angel |
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