Results 21 - 40 of 128
|
||||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Unanswered Bible Questions Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Verse |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | Can you explain this phenomenon? | Prov 1:29 | Aixen7z4 | 120635 | ||
It is nothing less than shocking for a counselor to see the role of free will in the therapeutic process. Some say that we have no free will, that our lives are ruled by determinism. Some say that this idea defies logic because the one who believes in determinism must admit that that belief has been predetermined and is therefore not sustainable. But when words fail us to decide or describe a phenomenon, it is something else to see it in operation. Permit me to tell here a tale of two pastors. They were both in serious need of help, and that is why they came to my attention. One refused to accept help, even while proclaiming belief in the Bible refusing to consider the call to action there, and left in utter confusion, with words about the end of his ministry and/or his life. The other asked to come in as soon as possible, took his place on the couch, went through the process and left with hope, almost unable to contain himself, unable to wait for the changes to take place. One is left to ponder the contrast. It was C.M. Ward who used to say that the love and power of an omnipotent God can be held in abeyance by the strong will of a puny man. It was a mysterious thing that God did when he gave us free will. Man is free to defy God. He is free to destroy himself. He is free to choose bad over good. And all the while he justifies himself. It is a strange thing to behold. Sometimes we feel badly when a person says no to us. It is something else to see them say no to the gospel, and no to God. He allows it. He has given us that free will. Some people see themselves as only judges. They always know what is good and what is bad and they have a constant need to express their opinion. Meanwhile, they do not see their own need. And the counselor feels helpless because he can only help someone who is willing to admit his need and to accept help. And God, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each called Counselor. Love never fails, we are told. Yet God so loved. And the Almighty God is love. How is it we can resist love? How is it we can resist God? There are those who say that psychology is not a science and cannot be. The reason? Man’s free will. It is possible to explain behavior without it, but with it, man is a mystery. How wonderfully God works for us when we submit to him! How miserably we perish when we reject him! As a person who preaches the Gospel and counsels people, I look at the free will of man and marvel at it. If anyone has solved that mystery, it would be nice to hear from them. It would not be nice to hear again from those who make themselves the judge and would question the motives or the intellectual capacity of the questioner, as it would only add to the mystery, why they do that. O, I am tempted to multiply words here in order to dissipate any confusion. I am not comparing a human counselor to God or any such thing. But I am saying that a human counselor sees the free will of man in operation and wonders at that mans ability to exercise it also toward God. I hope that someone can respond to this without getting into Calvinism-Armenianism but I fear someone will exercise his free will to get into it anyway. Read Jeremiah 7:23-26; 25:1-7; 26:1-5; 29:17-19; 35:13-16; 44:1-5. All of this in one book, about the attitude of one set of people in one situation. How can we explain this? |
||||||
22 | Do you understand it? | Prov 1:29 | Aixen7z4 | 120707 | ||
We are trying to understand why Christians refuse help when they need it and it is being offered. I will try to relate this matter to the topic in our fellowship meeting this evening. We considered the mind of Christ, that he submitted completely to the Father (John 5:30, etc.). We looked at Paul and heard himsaying that to him to live was Christ (Phil 1:21); that he had been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). We heard James referring to himself as a slave of Christ (James 1:1). We heard Paul saying that "we" live not for ourselves but for him who died for us (2 Cor 5:14,15). We wondered whether the "we" referred to all of us as Christians, or to Paul and Timothy (2 Cor 1:1). We watched a tape with KP Yohannan and saw his devotion to Christ. We wondered where we were in our own devotion to the Lord. Could we say that we were living only for him? It is only fair to admit that we are not, to the extent that we fail to respond to the word of God. As it was, the group was responding, not only in this particular meeting, but by the fact of their regular attendance. This is a group of believers who are in counseling, at this meeting was their group practice. But we are aware of the fact that some people do not accept the offer of counseling. In a previous post we have shown that the word of God shows our need for it, and encourages us to get it. And that is the problem, my friend. Some of us turn away and fail to respond to the word of God. We make excuses. We justify ourselves. What mystifies the counselor is that some of us refuse help when we need it. To fail at a task is one thing. To refuse help while one is falling is a mystery. Do you have any experience with this? |
||||||
23 | Might it be fear? | Prov 1:29 | Aixen7z4 | 120720 | ||
Bless you, momma. And thank you for infusing your response with Scripture. This is the most interesting of the responses we get. Our ministry offers services to churches, but it is a task to get through, or through to, the gatekeepers. A wise sister told us yesterday: "Some pastors will not allow anything into the church unless they can say it was their idea in the first place". I suppose that there is a pride in having originated an idea. Now, the challenge for us is, how do you help them anyway? And if the problem is pride, then how do you help them with that? We will work on that. But my immediate impression is that only time and circumstances will take care of that. We are working today with a church where the pastor has told us in the past that he has no further need for us. But he now has circumstances to deal with. He called this week for an emergency meeting, and today he is out of town and has left the church in our hands. Interesting that we would not have thought his problem was pride. He is a good man, and we were simply bewildered with his response. But we tried to maintain an inactive positive relationship. We have a theory that, in spite of appearances, our basic problem is fear. What do you think of that? The scripture I have in mind is Genesis 3:10. |
||||||
24 | But I say, Have they not learned? | Prov 1:29 | Aixen7z4 | 120745 | ||
My dear sister: I think there is so much wisdom in what you say. I have pondered each of the statements and thought of scriptures associated with it, so I know that there is much truth there. I have also been looking at definitions of pride to try to understand it better. It is also interesting to consider what fear is really made of, and what are the objects of our fear. Sometimes it seems that we fear other emotions, such as jealously and a sense of inferiority. I suppose it is natural to fear pain. It takes maturity to face pain and bear it. Still, my real interest is in determining what we can do to help ourselves in that situation. We can try to ease their fears and pain, but then the surgery must be done, and we so need their permission to do it. Look at the response of compudex at 11:27 for example. What can you say to such a person? Romans 14:4 does not usually work. 1 Corinthians 12:21 has been tried unsuccessfully. Galatians 5:15 does not seem to slow us down at all. After church today I had to counsel with a deaf man and then walk with him to his home. He was in a wheel-chair. He was not ashamed to ask for help. He had come to the church to seek it. Nor was he too proud to accept it. And sometimes it seems that that is what is needed: we must be brought low. Then we do not mind looking up to people who are more qualified in a certain area, or stronger than we are. Till that time, we prefer to try to knock them down to our level. Your reference to brokenness seems apt. I have often prayed that the Lord will keep me broken now, so that calamity is not necessary to produce it. I like your reference to blindness too, because it seems it must be confusion that causes us to hurt each other and ourselves. We are just thrashing around. The word of God puts an end to confusion, but then we are back where we started. How do you minister to someone who is not responsive to the word of God? A colleague suggested recently that we simply have to forget these people. There are enough people who are ready to accept help, he says; we can wait till the proud ones get ready. And I suppose there is much truth in that as well. Those who (think they are) whole do not (feel the) need for a physician. That is what Jesus said. But he also wept over Jerusalem. It is difficult to look at people perishing for lack of knowledge. And the fact is, we have what they need. Someone has suggested it is just one facet of the human condition, and I suppose that is true. People might more easily accept help from an angel, perhaps, than from another human being. But he who became flesh and dwelt among us is the same one who said while here, “Come unto me … and I will give you rest”. Some thought he was presumptuous to say things like that. And some think we are presumptuous if we offer to lead them to him. But haven’t our Christian brethren learned to not say that? |
||||||
25 | Authoritative answers? | Prov 3:5 | Aixen7z4 | 107644 | ||
It is such a good idea, though. One would think that the originators would be willing to make some slight adjustments in order to accomplish the goal. The idea, as I understand it, is that someone should be able to go to any verse in the Bible and see what questions and comments have been made on it. Even here one would hope that a slight change can be made, to allow people to reference a passage (a range of verses) rather than a single verse. The idea of having monitors has been suggested, and it is one that might be considered by the owners. Obviously there are some who would oppose the idea and even try to prevent it from getting to the decision makers for consideration. They want everyone to be free to say almost anything and unless it crosses some line (of vulgarity or obscenity, I guess) it is allowed to stand. There are some who come down on certain types of posts, yes, but it seems to be almost another law of the jungle, where the strong hound the weak and run them off. Meanwhile, all the posts remain. We do not even know if the original intent was mischief or if their problem was timidity. Yet, the owners want a growing commentary on the Bible. I am sure they also wanted an accurate translation of the Bible. Why not have a commentary which is useful and reliable? At least, let it not be confusing. In reading the threads even a neophyte is forced to either agree with one side or to throw his hands up in frustration and maybe, as in this case, depart in confusion. Of course, there are those who like it the way it is, and are glad to make up their own mind or agree with the kings of the jungle. But how can the owners of this forum be confident that they have given folks the truth? It may be good to let the experts work together and give us one set of renderings. But someone does not have to proffer credentials in order to be allowed to pontificate here. Nor is anyone disqualified for asking silly or useless questions. Criticisms are given, but they go both ways. Error stands with truth. The purpose of this forum is a noble one. I wonder if there is anyone who thinks it is being realized. But not really, I am sure there are those who think so. But in my heart there is an ache for people such as inmyheart who come by looking for answers and then move on. Or maybe they do not move on. I see that that person went on to decide who were giving the right answers and who were wrong. It has been pointed out that they were espousing a particular doctrine and that they had gotten into a huff when they were confronted. At one point they are listed among those are “very knowledgeable of the Word and very spirit filled”. What’s all of that about? The person who came on as a learner had decided that he was an expert after all, and others were recognizing his as such. Again the law of the jungle. One can work one’s way up the food chain. I am aware that there are those who wish that Aixen would move on. But he comes back to plead again with his brethren, moved by some spirit that leads him to notes like the one that began this chain. As he said, there is an apparent need for authoritative answers somewhere. Why not here? At a Bible publisher’s, why not here? He has suggested that there is a need for agreement among those giving answers. Not that they have to give one answer. Not that their answers will represent one denominational viewpoint. Everyone must be aware that there is a group here whose members support each other. And they give good, Biblical answers. This in spite of having come from different backgrounds. I think it is the same for Bible translators. I suggest that this program be set up so that only those people (those judged to be sound in doctrine, apt to teach, etc.) can provide answers. Everyone else should be limited to asking questions. As always, anyone can preface his question with statements or opinions. But in the end, unless he belongs to that select group, he should have to fill out the question box. That way, visitors will know that his statements are not authoritative, but the group will answer his/her question. In the end, it seems that we need to not only talk about the Bible but also to practice the Bible. And where in the Bible is there this kind of free-for-all exchange of ideas? There have been prophets, and apostles, and elders. There were also false prophets and false apostles, but they were not allowed to write and publish their writings as scripture. They were also not allowed to add notes to the scriptures. Why shouldn’t Bible publishes take the same care today? OK. I know there is an answer. There is a counterpoint to everything that has been said here. But there are also inmyhearts coming on. They could have searched the Bible for themselves, but they are coming here. I think they are looking for clear answers. |
||||||
26 | Is it true? | Prov 3:5 | Aixen7z4 | 107730 | ||
Is it true that this forum encourages the exchange of good, bad, foolish, insightful, even evil ideas? I had assumed otherwise, simply because the owners of the site are publishers of the Bible. I have not checked, but I would be surprised if the also published bad, foolish, insightful, even evil versions of the Bible. I do not doubt that there are all kinds of ideas published on the Internet, and there may well be forums that encourage simple self-expression. But shouldn’t a Bible forum be different? The suggestion is not that one person give all answers. It is not suggested that those who answer get together to confer before answering. It is suggested that they try to bring their answers together much like we would all seek to reconcile Scriptures which seem to say different things. Nor would questioners be passive. The could be aggressive in expressing their thoughts, but in the end they would be asking the “experts” how those thoughts squared with Scripture. I agree that my proposal seems to relieve participants of the obligation to be good Bereans. And the example of the Bereans is often cited. But is it not true that these folks were commended precisely because they were exceptional? Should we expect all Christians to be like that? We know for a fact that they are not. Should we insist then, that every believer be a devoted berean level Bible student or perish? And the people do perish for lack of knowledge. Why are we doing this? Do we invite everyone to our church, all the cults and all, and then tell the people to decide whom they will believe? Do we invite everyone to be on a pannel of Bible translators and to have their say in the final product? Do we bring all the books into our church libraries and let the people read them and decide? And yet I do fear that if we abridge the freedom of the participants to come on and pontificate, that they may not come at all. There may well be fewer participants overall. But is it not worth considering, the quality of the record that is built here? |
||||||
27 | Would I submit? | Prov 3:5 | Aixen7z4 | 107745 | ||
I promise. You can rest easy, my brother. I do not seek to be an expert here. I have my own ministry and it includes a forum. It is part of my ministry to support the effort of others and I have offered my opinion here. For your comfort I hereby state unequivocally that I have no desire to be one of the chosen few. I trust that the post you are reading now shows not a desire to pontificate but a willingness to put forth an idea for consideration. Can I make it any clearer? I would not accept an invitation to be on the panel I’m proposing here. I take it as my role within the body to simply make suggestions. Nor would I have any qualms about knowing you were on it. I could only hope that the ones who are chosen would be gentle and kind in their responses. You ask, “How will you compel questioners to end by "asking the 'experts' how those thoughts squared with Scripture"? I believe the webmaster at Lockman knows the answer. It is not a psychological thing and it is not done with browbeating. It is a simple matter of programming. This company will decide whether what they want for the participants is freedom of expression or a chance to learn. They are God’s servants and the Lord has led them in this good ministry thus far. I am pleased to leave the decision up to them. Would I submit? I think that is what I am doing now. |
||||||
28 | Don't you think so? | Prov 3:5 | Aixen7z4 | 107773 | ||
Sigh! We make mistakes. And even when we don't, some may perceive our tries as such. God, give us grace to be gracious. Now I have to turn this into a question to illustrate the fact a person can submit a statement for comment even when he is tempted to pontificate. I want to show it can be done. How can one make a point and yet submit it for consideration? One might use the option of Question rather than Note. One might type, "What do you think?" or "Do you think so?" or "Am I correct?" But how can someone submit a statement for comment without risking being snapped at? He could proofread it carefully and use the best grammar that he knows. He may even lower his standards a bit to be sure he is understood. He might hope that readers would pay more attention to substance and less to form. But he may yet be mistaken in all of these predictions. People should be able to make inputs or asks questions on a Christian forum without fear of sharp or rude responses. Don't you think so? |
||||||
29 | Doesn't it say that? | Prov 3:5 | Aixen7z4 | 107791 | ||
Jesus was known for the kindness of his words. “All bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth (Luke 4:22). He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29) . Listen to some of our brethren talk and we seem to be characterized by pride and arrogance and impatience. Someone asks a question and the grammar is not quite there and we snap at them. Jesus would have us go the second mile, I think, and help them out, and be kind to them when we answer. This is not a matter of machismo. Paul says, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6). Let us hope that those who know the Bible well enough to answer questions will also demonstrate that they are willing to obey the Bible by answering with grace. It is evident, Makarios, that your Bible knowledge is at a high level. I would hope that you could ask a question, even when you know the answer, in order to benefit those who might not know. But if you have to fear a sharp or condescending answer, I can understand why you would not take that route. It may also be the reason that people from the cults and others with shaky doctrine choose not to ask questions, don’t you think? They may come on with accusations or with bluster in order to protect themselves from the expected response. I still don’t know why we ask people, “Are you a Jehovah’s Witness?” What if they are? We can still speak to them with kindness, I think, and maybe win them over with the word. I am still thinking of turning all of this into a question, but for now I think I’d rather say, a little dose of humility might do us all some good. Jesus was meek and we can imitate him in that. Somehow a rough manner, for me, seems ill-fitting on a Christian. I am tempted to say, “Ye have not so learned Christ”. In any case we would not want to discourage a person who comes here with a question (Would we?) especially when we can sense that the person is unsaved or newly saved. I am not sure we should accustom ourselves to rough answers. The servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men. Doesn’t it say that? |
||||||
30 | Springs? Source of life? | Prov 4:23 | Aixen7z4 | 131211 | ||
"Keep thy heart with all diligence", KJV says; "for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). It would be interesting to hear some comments on that. |
||||||
31 | Balanced, centered, or lukewarm? | Eccl 7:18 | Aixen7z4 | 101142 | ||
Ecclesiastes 7:18 is apparently a summary and conclusion, following on verses 16 and 17. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. But where does it leave us? Don't be too hot, or too cold, but don’t be lukewarm either. Who among our brethren has been able to find that perfect balance without being spewed out of his mouth? Please share your wisdom now, your experience, and the scriptures that have guided you. | ||||||
32 | Ever been a preacher as wise as Solomon? | Eccl 9:2 | Aixen7z4 | 153519 | ||
It frustrated Solomon to see it, and many a modern preacher seems to not see it, that time and chance happen to all. We have read (in Deuteronomy 28, for example) that good comes to those who do good, and evil comes to those who do evil. But Solomon says he looked and did not find that. The fact is, as Jesus says, that rain falls on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5). It causes us to look at those passages again. Maybe they were special promises to a special people at a special time, and we should not have generalized to all people of all time. David saw the prosperity of the wicked and Job wondered why the righteous suffer. They all learned to take the long view, to look at the end (Job 14:14; Psalm 73:17; Ecclesiastes 8:12). Many a preacher encourages us to expect all that is good now, and they suggest that we need to adjust our lives in order to get it. But one comes on at times to pray that the Lord will help us to live each day in the light of eternity. It does seem that we can focus on a few verses and become shortsighted. But Solomon gives us the long and realistic view. Is this not a measure of the wisdom of Solomon? |
||||||
33 | Why don't you know for sure? | Eccl 11:6 | Aixen7z4 | 99940 | ||
I am surprised to find myself disturbed by the thought that God leaves us so much on our own. God knows we often don’t know what we are doing. We make mistakes, we waste time, and sometimes, as now, we don’t even know if we are doing just that. Why should we as God’s children sow seed without knowing if it will grow and bear fruit (as in Ecclesiastes 11:6)? Why should we preach the word out of season (as in 2 Timothy 4:2)? Yes, a sower went forth to sow, etc. But also, he calls us friends, not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth. So many things we discuss here and we have different opinions. It is not clear what the Lord is saying. And why does he let us do it? It is not clear what he is doing. Will you just share your opinion now and hope it does some good? |
||||||
34 | Are you quite sure about that? | Eccl 11:6 | Aixen7z4 | 100133 | ||
So why is there that little doubt in your mind? When Jesus was here he had no doubt. He said he knew the father was always with him. He never had that little doubt. He did always the things that please the Father. But you do not. Sometimes you do not know whether you do or not. That's the truth. Please don’t say it’s because Jesus was or is God. Please read on. When Jesus directed his disciples in fishing he told them to cast their nets on the right side of the ship; not the left, or front, or back. When they needed money to pay the tax he directed them to the fish with the coin in its mouth. Does he direct you, directly, like that? Please don’t say it’s because Jesus was here in person. Please read on. When the Lord spoke through Ezekiel, the prophet said, “The spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, ‘Go, shut thyself within thine house. And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover. But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD’”. Would you not like to be clear about God’s will as that? Please don’t say that was the Old Testament. Read on. It happened in the life of Paul the Apostle. After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately they endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called them for to preach the gospel unto them. Wouldn’t you like it if the Lord led you as definitely as that? But now he says sow the seed, though some may fall on bad ground. Preach the gospel even if it is the wrong season. Come to think of it, Jesus spoke to the people even when some had no ears to hear. Ezekiel was to speak whether the people would listen or not. Paul preached in Macedonia and got put in jail. And some of you are reading this and asking what’s the point. And some of you have an answer, mingled with doubt. You say God never leaves us alone and you forget that he sometimes does that “for a small moment” (Isa 54:7). You are not sure that he does not do that for a longer period of time. Are you confident he has given you the answer you are about to give? |
||||||
35 | And the winner is ___ ? | Is 42:4 | Aixen7z4 | 106938 | ||
Who can explain why good succumbs sometimes to evil? Why did Adam leave it to his wife to make the decision? Why did Abel let his brother kill him? There is good and there is evil, and evil often seems to be the bolder. It is proactive. It is aggressive. And it often seems to win. I say it seems to win because I anticipate that some would say it does not really win. Yet one wonders why it seems that good is sometimes passive and submissive. It may not lose the war, but it certainly loses some of the battles, and one may wonder why. Adam was innocent, but could he not also have been assertive? Abel was righteous, but could he not also have been smart, or strong, and able to defend himself? In addition to all the other things (Why not suffer wrong? Why not allow yourselves to be defrauded? Etc.), we are called to overcome. We are more than conquerors. Do not be overcome by evil. Overcome evil with good. Joshua won. Jesus won. So what was Abel doing? |
||||||
36 | Is there a ligjt in the darkness? | Lam 3:2 | Aixen7z4 | 101970 | ||
I must say I am surprised to find Jeremiah here in the darkness. He says (Lamentations 3:2,6) “He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light … He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old”. Had not God called that man to be a prophet? Was it not the idea that God would reveal his word and his will to him? The word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. He found his words and ate them (whether before or after this lamentation, I do not know). The word was a fire in his bones, and heat without light is dangerous indeed. God was leading him. Why then this talk of darkness? Job also had been here, in the darkness. He thought (came to the conclusion, found out) that God, “He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man” (Job 12:24,25). Jesus is the light of the world. Those for follow him do not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie. I always thought that the man to whom the way seemed right when it was wrong was an unsaved man. But now it seems the saved man can be wrong as well. He makes mistakes. He misinterprets. He misunderstands. He thinks he’s right when he’s not right. The Lord guides him with his eyes and yet, a man’s goings are of the Lord and he cannot know his own way. He does not know the day of his death. He does not know what a day may bring forth. Even now I have no idea what answer you will give to my question, and I have an idea you will surprise me. Will I look for the light of insight and get the darkness of mindless verbiage? Looking for the light of reality, will I get the darkness of pretence? Whence this darkness? Someone will ask, “Is it perfection that you seek?” No. But I would like more of the light of his presence. And, Yes, I am saved and I read his word and I walk in the light of it and pray. And yet I have no idea how he will use you to enlighten me. Why does our God cause a Jeremiah and a Job to walk in darkness? I have a sign over my desk saying, “Trust God in the darkness”. I wonder if that’s what he wants. |
||||||
37 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 16:15 | Aixen7z4 | 117393 | ||
Someone asked the question: "Who was Jesus?" It is difficult to know, since there was no elaboration, what the reason was for the question. But I repeat it here, and change the tense of the verb, because I believe it is extremely important. Frankly, I am thinking it is the most important question that a person can ask. Jesus claimed to be God, and if he is such, then he is beyond the realm of time. Jesus was, and is, and is to come. And he is the Almighty. The fact is that Jesus is all that he ever was or will be, for he is God. What a big mistake we make when we think of Jesus as a man, claiming to be God! The fact is that God became flesh and dwelt among us, believe it or not. And those who do not believe are in danger. Jesus said, “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins”. (John 8:24). But now, if I understand the workings of this forum, I must frame a question. I am not sure what question I should ask, and I do not want to offend anyone. But does the question “Who was Jesus?” indicate that the person does not believe Jesus is who he claimed to be? Perhaps the person who asked the question, or a person who would ask the question that way, can answer here. |
||||||
38 | Get behind me, who? | Matt 16:23 | Aixen7z4 | 97444 | ||
He said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" Do you think you know why Jesus spoke to Peter in that way? Have you ever spoken to someone in that way? Have you ever been tempted to turn to someone and say, "Do that, Satan!"? It is evident that we are influenced by both God and Satan in what we think and say and do. You are thinking of David, and Judas Iscariot, and Ananias and Sapphira, and now, Peter. And isn't it sad? Jesus had recently said to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah" (Mat 16:17). And now he seems to be identifying him with Satan. I have asked several questions here, but the essential pair is this: Do you recognize the influence Satan in our lives, and how do you confront it when you see it in a brother or a sister? |
||||||
39 | What do you think of Christ? | Matt 22:42 | Aixen7z4 | 101964 | ||
Who is this Jesus, who is called Christ? This question has been asked indirectly, on this forum, and directly too, but I have found no explicit answer. And yet, it seems to me it is the most important question. Would you care to answer it? There are times when it is not clear whether a participant here is or is not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet, it might be said that that is the preeminent, most important question that a person asks or answers. It has been suggested that this is not a forum where matters of personal salvation are decided. And yet, it seems to me that that would be the most important thing to happen here, or anywhere. When a person is saved, his goal, his prize is to become like Christ, to be conformed to his image. The question still is: “What do you think of Christ?” Now, as then, “Whose son is he?” is one question. But beyond that: Is he master and lord, that we should obey and emulate him? Is he the savior, that we should believe in him? Is he God, that we should worship him? (I apologize to those who think some of those words should have been capitalized. There might be differences of opinion on that, depending, in part, on our thoughts about him). What do you think of Christ? |
||||||
40 | How would you answer the question? | Matt 22:42 | Aixen7z4 | 101966 | ||
I think you're right. What do you believe that verse really says? And what do you think of Christ? |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ] Next > Last [7] >> |