Results 221 - 240 of 255
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Robert Nicholson Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
221 | Thoughts on Romans 9 | Bible general Archive 1 | Robert Nicholson | 33532 | ||
Brother Curt: I am here, in the background thinking about Romans 9. In reading Ben's response I feel common ground on his 4 point Calvinism. I have a few pages of thoughts on Romans 9 which are too lengthy to post on this forum. If you would like to read them please email me at mach@surenet.net In the meanwhile I will be back with some thoughts. Thanks In Christ Robert |
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222 | fall upward? | 1 Tim 4:1 | Robert Nicholson | 33290 | ||
Brother Zach: I am not trying to be confrontational. However, you have cited the inspired word of God as your reason for believing that a person can fall away from the faith. I have suggested that this is in the light of profession. Peter teaches us "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" These false prophets were among them and yet their goal was to bring in their own teaching which is damnable heresises which denied the Lord that bought them. I also rest upon the inspired word of God and on the promises made by the Saviour himself. One of my favorities is John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." In this verse we are promised a present possession, life and that we shall not come into judgement. How then can we suggest that the Lord Jesus was mistaken in his promises? In the parable of the wheat and the tares, they both grow together and look alike, but at the harvest only the wheat has value and the tares are burned. I feel this is a picture of Christian profession. God bless you anyhow. I am secure in him Robert |
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223 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 33287 | ||
Brother Zach: To suggest that we can lose our salvation goes against the promise of the Lord Jesus "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16 Your reference to Romans 11 21- 22: This chapter is discussing how that Israel because of unbelief had been set aside and that God has turned to the Gentiles by his grace. This is in a national sense. In this chapter it is made clear that individuals from all nations by faith can be saved. Romans 8:23. His warning to the Gentiles as a whole is " do not be puffed up in pride, you have nothing to boast of, it is the grace of God that in his sovereign mercy cut of the tame branches (Israel) that we the Gentiles the ( Wild branches) could be grafted in. I believe that God is speaking to Jews nationally and Gentiles as a group. The great mystery which was hid from the prophets was that the Gentiles who were outside of the promises of God, would be brought into God's favor by faith in Jesus Christ. In v. 23 makes it clear that individual Jews as well if Gentiles can be faith as individuals be grafted in. In this time or dispensation of God's grace the invitation to salavtion is to the "Whosoever will" regardless of race or creed. Thank God his promise takes me in. Lose our salvation???? John 15 is talking about abiding in him. In John 15:6-10 the word IF can be also translated "Since". Since I am in him and his is the one that keeps me safe in his hand, I can never lose my soul. I do not believe that the scripture supports salvation which is dependent upon works. Works is the fruit which results from knowing the Lord Jesus and the external proof that we have salvation through him. I am aware that there are those who disagree with this truth. The Lord Jesus made many positive statements which assures us that upon receiving or trusting him "we have eternal life". Eternal cannot be defined as temporary life. This is the wonderful thing of the Gift of God through Christ, that to us it is unmerited and yet by his grace he offers to us the forgiveness of sins and personal relationship as sons through faith in him. Praise his precious name. Robert |
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224 | Some will depart from the faith | 1 Tim 4:1 | Robert Nicholson | 33253 | ||
Dear brother: The question I ask myself on such an important question is how does this fit in with the other promises of God? Paul writes to the Romans chp. 8: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ: shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? v.8 "Nay in all these things we are more than conquerers through him who loved us.V.10" "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Our position in Christ is a personal bond which cannot be broken. We are placed in the body by adoption and are given eternal life by God himself. In other words, once we are in a family, our subsequent behaviour cannot affect our position which is secured by the new birth. All believers according to 1 Cor. 12:13 and 27. The church which is his body does not have any imposters. However, in contrast the local church which consists of professing believers can be infiltrated by those who are "tares" They look like a Christian, they appear to live like a Christian, talk like a Christian and walk like a Christian; however, in the end we find that they were never in the family of God by the new birth. Church History has shown us in part the fulfilment of the scriptures you have qoted from 1 Timothy and Titus. As the church grew, it was it many years before humans made a mockery of the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus. False teachers and false doctrines became prevalent and it appeared that the true gospel was lost. I believe the apostates where ones who understood the truth intellectually, appeared to accept it, but were never rooted in Christ. In Acts 8:13 we read of Simon the sorcerer who "himself believedalso and was baptised..." It appeared that Simon's profession was genuine. The thing which God alone knew were his motives. We find that he hoped to add the gift of "laying on hands" to add to his repretoire of powers. He even offered them money for the gift.V18-19 Sadly, Peter exposed him for what he was: "Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because you thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money, Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right with God" 19,20 In my life time I have known people who profess to be Christians and are part of Christian organizations. Their motive appears to more for self-exaltation and for positions of control; than to live for the glory of Christ. Our profession is not worth a dime if it is not anchored in Christ. It appears that in last day teaching much is said regarding professing Christendom. After Jesus takes his people away, there will be still professing Christians on the earth who appear to blend in with the falling away as the man of sin is reavealed. 2 Thess 2:3-12 In fact Paul teaches us that that spirit doth already work in the world, but is held back by the Spirit of God in the church. 2 Thess2:7 When this influence is removed those who have a profession, but no possession will believe the lie of the Anti- Christ "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth..." v.12 Believers at times can get cold in heart, deny the Lord and live far away from him and yet as the father of the prodical son, he is always are father who watches with open arms to forgive us when we come home. If we should die in this condition of coldness, I believe we are still Sons. Our eternal life is dependent upon the work of Christ on Calvary and is not dependent on our works after we are saved. Our works after we are saved are motivated by devotion and love to him and are the external evidence that we belong to him. Praise his name. Peace in his Name Robert |
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225 | Does the Bible ever lie? | Heb 6:18 | Robert Nicholson | 33249 | ||
Hi Praisemaster: I believe that people who read the Bible sometimes lie and abuse the Bible to their own selfish ends. Other mistakenly try to intrepret the Bible and find themselves lost with seeming contradictions, all because they have not learned that "scripture interprets scripture". The Word of God which we call the Bible does not and cannot lie. It is God breathed by the Holy Spirit. However, when we read the Bible we must try to understand each book through the eyes to those to whom it was given within the context of their culture and social framework. We also must remember that although the Bible has many authors who where moved by the Holy Spirit to write down God's message to humankind, behind all of these authors we have the divine Author, God himself. The Bible consists of many individual books and yet is one book in itself. I am not sure of the purpose of your question. It may be due to seeming inconsistences which we may find when we read the Bible. We must remember that no one "scripture is of private interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20),but must be interpreted in harmony with the entire book. I believe this is why Paul speaks to Timothy saying "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman which needth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) Paul also writes " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be mature, throughly furnished unto all good works" 2 Tim. 3:16-17 Finally, I believe there are translations of the Bible which are more accurate than others. That is why we must compare translations and try to go back to original languages where and if possible. What do you think Praisemaster, does the Bible lie? God bless you Robert |
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226 | Why is this event only in St. Matthew? | Matt 27:52 | Robert Nicholson | 33080 | ||
Good afternoon Tykklief: The "Miracle of the Millennium" is an understatement! The greatest miracle which is seen at Calvary is that God was willing to give his only Son to that awful death and to load our sins upon him that we might be made the righteousness of through him. Your question: Why is this event only found in Matthew? We must remember that each of the eye-witnesses of the four gospels were not always in the same place at the same time during the trial and crucifixtion of Christ. Thus, we would not expect each account to be identical, but in fact would be supplementary of each other. It would seem that the Spirit of God used each of the authors of the gospel to present Christ from different points of view. John tells us that "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John 21:25. Matthews gospel presents Christ as the King of the Jews. Mark presents Christ as the humble servant. Luke presents him as the Son of Man, the perfect man on this earth. John presents him as the Son of God. Is it not amazing that individual authors view Christ from different views and in doing so give us the New Testament fulfilment of the Old Testament Prophesies concerning him. However, according to John, the writers of the New Testament did not rely on their memory when writing about the Lord Jesus. Jesus promised them that after his death he would send "the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" Back to your original question. Why is the event of the resurrection of the sleeping saints only recorded in Matthew. If Matthew is presenting his gospel to Israel as he presents Jesus as King or Messiah, then it would seem reasonable that he would feel that this event was important. He wants to show them that in the power of the Resurrection of Christ their King, that those from old testament times who slept in him by faith, would be raised one day. The picture of this is seen in Leviticus 23: 9-12 where Israel was to take a sheaf of wheat from their crop first and offer it to the Lord. The growth of wheat is a picture of resurrection. One single corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, and yet in its growth from the ground we find many plants in its likeness. When the Lord Jesus died and was buried, he is like that single corn of wheat. When he was raised from the dead a small group of others typified by the sheaf followed him, they are an example of the larger crop or the millions who have trust him and will be changed at his coming. Peace in his Name Robert |
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227 | were OT saints seen after Jesus was resu | Matt 27:52 | Robert Nicholson | 33077 | ||
Good morning from snowy Canada TGSmom: The miracle of the open tombs at the cross is one of seven miraculous events which occurred. I have listed them for your information. As you will have noticed each one of these events have great spiritual significance and are the fulfilment of many prophecies concerning him. 1. The awful 3 hour darkness starting at mid-day 2. The rending of the Veil in the temple 3. The earthquake 4. The opened graves 5. The undisturbed grave clothes of Jesus 6. The resurrection of some Old Testament saints. One very important distinction we must make is: That the graves were opened, but the saints did not rise until after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice how these events tie together: " Jesus, when he had cried with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints that slept arose, And came out of the graves AFTER his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" Matt. 27:50-53 We see the power of that loud Triumphant Cry of the Saviour "Finished!" He then dismissed his own spirit. The veil which covered entrance to the holy of holiest was rent from top to bottom, a great earthquake occurred, graves were opened. However, we must remember there is order to resurrection. "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming" Christ is the first to rise from the dead with an incorruptible body and because he lives!, we who are his at his coming will be changed along with those who sleep in him. That is why "we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" Phil.3:20b-21. After his resurrection, the bodies of the saints which slept arose, and appeared unto many. There graves were opened at the moment of the Saviour's cry exposing the bodies within, who arose after his resurrection. What a testimony to the power of God! Did these saints go back to their graves? We are not told. Were these saints raised in immortal bodies like unto the Lord Jesus? Levitcus 23:10-12 we read about the feast of firstfruits which is typical of resurrection. "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: It has been suggested that a sheaf implies plurality. The Lord Jesus is the single "corn of wheat" which fell into the ground at his death and buriel.(John 12.24) In his resurrection he is first in order, but according to Eph. 4 8-10 "when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men" It appears that those who slept in him were taken by Christ from paradise into heaven with him at his ascention. The question I ask myself is, did he allow the bodies of the few which arose to go back to the tomb or did he take them along bodily with the souls of all the saints of Heb. 12:23.? We know that he raised Lazaraus from the dead. However, Lazarus was not given an immortal body at that time, he eventually died and was buried again. However, if the saints which rose after his resurrection are the fulfilment of the wave-sheaf offering which was a sample of the greater crop, then these dear saints are a sample of what we look for at his coming; and are with Christ in resurected bodies. We are not told who they are except they are saints which slept in Christ. I cannot be dogmatic on this view and yet I feel in view of the victory of Christ that these people were the first to experience this glorious change. One day we will be able to ask them? I apologize for going on and on. However, this topic is difficult to cover without side tracking somewhat. We look for our Saviour from heaven! Robert Nicholson |
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228 | Spiritual Bessings in the Heavenlies | Eph 1:3 | Robert Nicholson | 32435 | ||
The believer's position is in the heavenlies. It has been suggested by Schofield that the blessings which we have in him may be defined as the sphere of the believer's spiritual experience as identified with Christ: in nature (2 Peter 1:4, in life (Col. 3.4; 1 John 5:12), in relationships (John 20:17; Heb. 2:11), in service (John 17:18; Matt. 28:20), in suffering (Phil.1:29; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24) in inheritance (Romans 8:16,17) and in future glory in the kingdom (Rom. 8 18-21; 1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6, Rev.5:10) Do you not think that we are looking at position truth for all believers. We are in the heavenlies with Christ? Peace in his Name Robert |
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229 | Church "Covenant" unbiblical? | Eph 1:23 | Robert Nicholson | 32287 | ||
Brother Markarios: I agree that in the early church Acts 2 that those who trusted Christ became immediate members of the church which is his body 1Cor.12:27. I believe that the scripture teaches that every person who has been saved by his grace from Calvary onward are part of this body. You ask: "What is Church Membership?" The church which I have referred to consists of only believers and includes all believers. We sometimes refer to this as the universal church (not a scriptual term) We find that Paul wrote "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus,..." (1 Cor. 1:2) In this verse Paul was writing to a group of Christians who represented Christ in Corinth or in a local locality. The local church originally consisted of all professing believers who were baptised. The difference between the universal church and local church is that within the local church there may be members who are only professors and not possessors of Christ, whereas, in the universal church all are possessors of Christ. No Christian can be excluded or put out of the Church which is his body, whereas, within the local testimony people can be excluded and put out. You mentioned the "Church Covenant" in your church. We know that the apostles as they were guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) gave teaching to the early church which provided them with doctrinal truth and guidance in daily life as members of a local church. It would seem that in the modern day "Covenant" reflects some of this teaching by the apostles. In reading the scriptures regarding the early church it would appear that admission is accomplished the moment we trust Christ. We must remember that in these early days that Christ was the head of the church, the divine teacher the Holy Spirit and that overseers were appointed to lead, to feed, to be a role model and to guard the flock in the local church. Is a "Covenant" unbiblical? I say this with great care: on the one hand most local gatherings have an official or unofficial requirements for membership with the view to maintaining the local testimony. Nevertheless, if such a Covenant excludes people who are truly born again than I would suggest it is unbiblical. Is it not better if the members of the flock have the fellowship of each other as they grow in Christ. Sorry brother, I have gone on long enough In Christ Robert |
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230 | Anyone Taken Trinity's Online Courses? | 2 Tim 2:15 | Robert Nicholson | 32259 | ||
Dear Henry: I am a student with Trinity Seminary located in Indiania. I am working on a BA in Biblical Studies which is accredited by the University of Liverpool, England. I have found the college to be supportive and helpful. The course work which I have encountered is quite heavy as one might expect with online studies. I would suggest that you visit the Trinity Forum and chat with other students. If I can be of any help please email me at mach@surenet.net Robert |
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231 | what does this mean, is there no hope? | 2 Pet 3:9 | Robert Nicholson | 32188 | ||
Dear Angala In 2 Peter, the apostle is teaching the Christians about the last days in view of the Lord's coming in power and glory. 2 Peter 1:14, Peter appears to know that his martyrdom is near and he wants to leave them with "last words" which will strengthen them and give them assurance that God is and will always be in control. In Chp. 2, he warns them of false prophets who teach heresy and lead others away from the Lord. He assures them that such people are destitute of the truth v. 17 and that they may appear to be genuine Christians but eventually they go back to their wicked ways v. 20 Peter says that for such apostates that "it would be better for them to have not known the way of righteousness" in other words they will be judged for what they professed to be. Peter emphasizes by citing old testament examples that although it appears that God does not judge those who follow after wickedness and ignore him, that indeed he will judge the ungodly in due time. The principle is that ALL sin must be judged. A holy God cannot overlook sin. That is why he sent his only son to be made sin for us upon the cross, that he might suffer the judgement for our sins allowing those who will except his subsitutionary work to be forgiven and the possessors of eternal life. With this background to the verse which you are questioning in Chp. 3 in view of the coming of the Lord that their will be scoffers deny the truth of his coming. In v.5 - 6 they are compared to those in Noah's day who sinned against God with a high hand until God said "my Spirit shall not always strive with man" Gen. 6:3. Even though Noah was warned by God about the coming judgement and built an ark, the people around him were not concerned. The reality was the time came when God called the eight people who received his message into the ark and shut the door. We find that although God was patient with them, the ungodly who did not fear him perished in their sin. In V.7 Peter speaks of a time when God will judge ungodly people. In V. 9 he tells them that because the ungodly seem to go unjudged, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, but is longsuffering" Again as in the day of Noah, God is holding back his wrath with the hope that those who ignore him might change their minds and come to repentance. "God is not willing that any should perish" however, there is a day coming V.10 when Christ will come in vengence upon those who have rejected him. Humans who reject the strivings of the Spirit of God, the love of God through Christ are making a willing choice to be punished for their own sins. Angala this chapter is not dealing with disobedient Christians who are safe in Christ. When we fall as Christians we know from 1 John 1:9 that "if we confess our sins, he faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In the verse you have provided it says that "God is not willing that any should perish" In John 3:16 we read of the provision which can be ours "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I hope this helps Safe in his hand John 10 Robert |
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232 | john 14:6 | John 14:6 | Robert Nicholson | 32005 | ||
Dear Friend: Jesus said,"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man (person) cometh to the father but by me". "How can we know the way?" Thomas asked and we can ask the same question today? The way to God is through a person and that person is Jesus Christ. He is the truth personified and he is the life or source of spiritual life for all who trust him. What happens to us when we accept Christ as our Saviour? The moment we rest upon Christ our sins are forgiven and by his Spirit we are made alive spiritually in him. I would say that once you have Christ, both your situation and life will change. Paul writes to the Corinthians "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17 God by his Spirit gives us the desire and power to live for his glory. Our old sinful way of life will change as we follow Christ. This does not mean that we live a sinless life. In fact some of the old ways of life which would not be pleasing to Christ may be hard to change. However, sin in the life of the Christian should be the accident rather than the wilful habit. A new Christain should not become discouraged if all things do not seem new and life is a challenge. It is over time that we "... grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18) I hope this helps. God bless you Robert |
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233 | Is BAPTISM a SYMBOL? | Mark 16:16 | Robert Nicholson | 31781 | ||
Hi Terra: It is not what I think or my interpretation of the Bible, but what did the Lord Jesus say? In Mark 16:16 Jesus says "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned" Notice that the emphasis is upon believing or believing not. In order to be saved we must believe that "Jesus died for our sins" upon the cross. It is not simply believing about this great truth, but accepting the truth as revealled by the Spirit of God through his word that "Jesus took my place on the cross, he bore the wrath for my sins and I simply rest my all upon him for eternity. Jesus said "verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life" John 5:24 When we trust in Christ he changes us by his Spirit and makes us alive spiritually to him. We are immediately placed in the family of God through adoption forever. Nothing can separate us from that eternal relationship. What about baptism? It is a command of the Lord Jesus which he expects of those who have trusted him. Matt. 28:19 In Acts 2:41 we read "that they which gladly received (believed) his word were baptized. In the days of the early church it cost something to identify with the rejected Christ. The early believers were baptised by immersion which proclaimed to the world that they belong to Christ and that with his help they intend to live for him by his grace throughout the rest of their lives. I believe that baptism is a symbol of sanctification, that is, being set apart for Christ. To live a baptised life "we are to reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:11 Since baptism is a command of the Lord Jesus, a believer can please him by obedience to his word in the waters of baptism. The most important thing in our life is to put our trust in Christ. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12 Praise his name forever! Standing on the promises of God! Robert |
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234 | what does the sons of God (6:1) mean? | Genesis | Robert Nicholson | 31584 | ||
In Genesis 5:26 we read "and to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord" It would appear that the "Sons of God" refer to those of the godly line of Seth who strayed from God and began to intermarry with the godless line of Cain. Peace in his Name Robert |
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235 | God Intentionaly Made Bible Difficult? | Heb 4:12 | Robert Nicholson | 31577 | ||
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."(Psalms 119:105) The Bible is one book, written by many authors who were guided by the Holy Spirit of God. God is the ultimate Author. 2 Tim. 3:16 The depths of God's word is something we will never completely fathom. Yet to Timothy Paul writes "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". 2 Tim. 2:15 The Lord Jesus prayed "that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" John 17:3 I believe that the important trues of the Bible are clear and plain and that God by his Spirit will reveal himself to us if we seek him. For those who know him as Savior we can apply his promise to his disciples to ourselves: "When he the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth..." John 16:13. I do not think that God intended to set up a puzzle for us, but rather some of the difficulty is due to the passage of time. In other words we must try to see it through the eyes to whom the word was given in order to understand the message in its original context. I have seen it illustrated this way: God (sends the message) --to his prophet-- who presents it to the intended audience---to present day readers. Present day readers will better understand what God was saying if they understand the historical and cultural background of the original audience. Divisions in the early church were not caused by the Bible, but were due to people who refused the truth or tried to add to it. I agree however, that today we have many denominations etc. which are made up of many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you not think that the important message from the Bible is: That God wants us to know him and to have a personal relationship with him through Jesus Christ? Still searching Robert |
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236 | What happens to our spirit at death? | 1 Cor 15:42 | Robert Nicholson | 31480 | ||
Hi Nancy K. Sometimes when we look upon our loved ones as their body is lowered into the grave we look for answers which would give us comfort. As has already been referred to in some of the previous postings, Paul covers this topic in 2 Cor. 5. It would seem that Paul is nearing the end of his life, his desire to be with Christ and yet he realizes his work is not yet done. He talks about our bodies as a temporary tent in comparision to our heavenly house which is permanent. In v. 3 he mentions the naked state or in other words when the spirit has left the body. Pauls desire is for the rapture and yet it seems that he is beginning to realize that he may die before Christ comes. Nevertheless, in V8 he speaks about "being absent from the body and at home with the Lord". Do these departed ones who sleep in Jesus 1 Thess 4 have a consciousness of the Lord himself? In the KJV we read "Absent from the body, present with the Lord" I believe the word present means that we are aware of him. Secondly, in Rev. 6: 9 to 11 we read about the souls of them who were slain for the word of God are under the altar and crying "how long O lord holy and true, dost thos not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth" We see that in a future day these souls will be in communication with God. I love to think of my loved ones who are with Christ and wonder what their thoughts are as they behold him in all his beauty. This would be enough for all eternity and yet; there is much more, these spirits will come with him and be united with their immortal bodies and we that are alive will be changed, and we will be ever with him. To think that we will have all our facilties both physical and spiritual unhampered by sin to whorship and adore the Lord Jesus for all eternity. A sure hope! beyound compare. In Christ Robert |
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237 | Is not Love The Greatest Commandment? | John 3:16 | Robert Nicholson | 31475 | ||
Dear Lamplight: Greetings from snow covered Ontario Canada. Jesus in answering the Pharisees as to which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus said, "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and foremost commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Matt. 21:37 to 39) We must have the love of God in our heart first and then we will be able by his grace to love our neighbour. Would you not agree that the love of the Saviour himself was demonstrated in his compassion, his kindness, concern, sensitivity and truth. His greatest act of love was when he offered himself a sacrifice unto God for our sins, that we who are so unloveable might be forgiven. The love of God and of Christ is pure and unconditional toward us. He reveals to us our need and unworthiness before him in addition to the great provision which he accomplished for us on the cross. What I am trying to say, is that I would not be loving to my neighbor if I withheld the truth from him. It is a sad thing to live day by day with fellow travellers to eternity without warning them of the downward road they are travelling on. I agree that we turn people away with argument and needless legalism. We must "live Christ" and look for his guidance in our dealings with others who have not yet come to know him as saviour. Paul in speaking to Timothy said, the servant of God must not strive" It is amazing joy and yet an awesome responsibilty to those who are saved by the Grace of God, that we are intended to reflect Christ to those around us. Arguing "religion" will never bring a soul to Christ. Spreading the good news by our example and message will allow God to bring sinners to himself by his Spirit. We have nothing in ourselves to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think in fairness to faithful believers, that at times unbelievers criticize them because the truth hurts. I believe the Love of God and the Holiness of God are equal. That is way Calvary was an absolute necessity when we consider that God in all his love can never overlook sin. It was on the cross where "heavens love and heavens justice met" May the love of God fill our hearts A sinner saved by his grace Robert |
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238 | What did the visible manifestations repr | Ex 14:19 | Robert Nicholson | 30209 | ||
I believe the Angel of the Lord and the cloud are one. The cloud was a sign of wrath (darkness) to the Egyptians and a sign of favor (light) to Israel. In the context it was God's way of protecting those he had redeemed from the salvery of Egypt. Robert |
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239 | Why are men so resistant to the gospel? | 1 Thess 5:17 | Robert Nicholson | 30200 | ||
Dear Sister: Men in the natural sense are socialized to be "men" and in our society not to show tender emotions. In addition, peer approval is very important making it tought for them to break ranks with their fellows. I find it touching that you have waited for 16 years which I am sure has been with a prayerful attitude. Others have prayed for him and witnessed to him and yet he appears to be unaffected. Such a man reminds me of Saul of Tarsus, a man who was strong in his beliefs and would not allow the Spirit of God to interrupt with his wilful persecution of the Christians... until one day in his stubborn career, God stopped him on the road and brought him face to face with the glory of the risen Christ. As we know Saul who became Paul became a mighty man for God. It seems with some that God has to use the big hammer to wake them up to their need. Like Saul of old no one knew of his inner turmoil underneath his outward toughness. Take courage in that God will speak, we in ourselves can do nothing except live consistent lives before them, show them the love of Christ in our lives and keep them before the throne of grace. It is God by his Spirit who works with the hearts of sinners and reveals Christ to them. Dear sister, the important thing to remember is that God is infinitly interested in your husband's soul and he hears your prayers. When you pray, pray specifically, never give up and in the end we must leave our loved ones in the hands of God who will do far more than we could ask or think. I have a neighbor who married a friend of ours who is a Christian. He was a kind man and a good provider, but would not have anything to do with church. After about 16 years, his father-in-law who was also a Christian died very quickly from cancer. After the funeral he and his wife were resting in the darkness of their bedroom. He said to her "you believe your father is in heaven don't you?" She said "yes" He then said, " you believe that if something happened to you, that you would be in heaven?" His wife answered "I know for sure" After much silence her husband asked her "what about me?" She broke down and wept and told him "I am afraid you would be lost forever". The happy side to this story is that this man soon came to know Christ as his saviour and the joy of the Lord overshadows their whole family. May such a miracle happen in your family soon. In our Saviour's Name Robert |
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240 | Prophesy of Jewish blindness of Savior? | Deut 18:15 | Robert Nicholson | 30136 | ||
Dear brother: New Creature in Christ In Isaiah we read "For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of a deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered" Isaiah 29:11 This verse is referred to by Paul in Rom. 11:8 God gives the reason for this in verse in Isaiah 29:13 We see the reality of this in the words of the Lord Jesus as he wept over Jerusalem: "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes." Luke 19:32 We must remember that it was Israel nationally that was set aside because of unbelief and that that the grace of God was extended to individuals who accepted him. "He came unto his own (people)and his own received him not. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:11-12) The amazing thing is that God shows us how his will is brought about. In Romans 11: we learn that Israel has been set aside as a nation because of unbelief. They are the tame olive branches which have been broken off, that the gentiles might be grafted in. The warning to the gentiles is not to boast, that this is all of the grace of God. In verse 24 he speaks of the natural branches who will be grafted in again. "For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystrey, lest you should be wise in your own conceits: that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. In other words God has set his people aside nationally, that the gentiles might be saved. He will again turn to Israel when his purposes with Gentiles are fulfilled. I hope this is helpful Your brother by his grace alone Robert |
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