Results 241 - 260 of 729
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Results from: Notes Author: charis Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
241 | Multi-(G)god Universe? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29939 | ||
Mabuhay, Johnny, No, I'm not offended. I simply think that you are much more worried about the one word 'equal' than I am. The Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. They are one. This is what is known as the mystery of the Tri-une God, or Trinity. That They are one means that the three Persons are equally God, but not the exact same (your word, equal). I do see your point, but it kind of petty, and gets you off-track. I know that the Father is not Jesus is not the Holy Spirit. This is what the Oneness people try to say. But you get into a confused rut if you try to 'solve' the mystery by saying that there are three Gods (or two Gods plus a Holy Spirit, as you have been saying). In my humble opinion, it is an unnecessary 'over-swing' of the pendulum of common sense to make such statements. However, you are free to express your opinions. Please just make sure that you call them opinions, not fact. A great deal of the 'facts' will not be revealed until our Lord returns to 'fill in the blanks' and throw His holy light upon those mysteries. By the way, when I was last there, the Philippines had three official languages, English, Tagalog, and Spanish. Did that change? :-) (I know that Spanish-speakers are dwindling) Blessings to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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242 | Is Depression of the devil? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 29845 | ||
Dear ArtS, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Thank you for an informative and well thought out post. I agree with you that depression is not from satan. I also applaud you for your honesty and the testimony of both bearing this affliction in faith and helping others that suffer from this malady. If only we could all use our situations and experiences to help others in need of support, not judgment. Blessings and peace to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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243 | Multi-(G)god Universe? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29834 | ||
Dear Johnny, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'" Matthew 28:18 NASB. Jesus does not lie. "I and the Father are one." John 10:30 NASB. Jesus does not lie. Johnny, many of the words you are quoting from Jesus were spoken before His glorification, before His time, and before His disciples could understand His deity. "But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:39 NASB. Sometimes it seems like you feel you have a personal revelation of God that is superior to anyone else. I would say that this is a dangerous attitude. Well, again I say adios. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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244 | Multi-(G)god Universe? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29825 | ||
Dear Johnny, Yes, you may. Yes, I do. I don't know. I don't understand the question. Moses is not God. He was made *as God* to Pharaoh. Therefore, Moses is not a true God or a false one. No, I can't. Johhny, yours is one of the most unique doctrines I have come across. You seem to be mistaking gods for angels, including the fallen ones. You seem to think that God created the other God as well as other gods. I can't understand how this lines up with the Bible. I think I will bow out of this thread. Thank you. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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245 | Officer of a church worship elsewhere? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 29819 | ||
Dear Hank, Greetings in the name of Jesus! One twig to another... :-) Amen! Although at times I feel more like a shoot. I, too, am a plain-clothes elder, though for some reason I do kind of 'stick out' in this venue! :-) (blue eyes are rather conspicuous in this part of the woods!) Oh, yes! Thanks for the tip. Now I can listen to his Cello Concerto Op.104 with authority! (but Sophie doesn't like the tympani in the 1st movement!) Blessings also to you in your service and ministry to His flock. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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246 | Officer of a church worship elsewhere? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 29795 | ||
Dear Brother Hank, :-) Greetings in Jesus' name! You are correct that the Scriptures use the word 'office.' Actually, the word *episkope* is translated 'the office of overseer,' because 'overseer' (or bishop) is the same *episkope.* However, I can't find anywhere in the Bible that says that the 'officer' is 'above' or 'superior' to another believer, but simply another 'bodily function.' "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,' it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body." 1 Corinthians 12:14,15 NASB. This is why I made light of the *connotation* of the modern English word. Please, friend, no offense intended! :-) (but, Biblically, you were a deacon, right? No badge! ;-)) By the bye, I CAN pronounce Dostoevsky, but how do you pronounce Dvorak? Blessing, good sir, in Christ Jesus, charis |
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247 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29792 | ||
Dear Emmaus, Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! Sadly, you are correct, at least in my estimation of the situation here in Japan. Even more sad is that it appears that churches 'idolize' and import American 'Contemporary Christian' fads, attitudes and even 'super-ministers.' I might add that this seems to be the situation in much of the Orient, as I have contacts in Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines and China. I hear from others that the same can be said of much of Africa, and Eastern Europe. It seems that many 'modern' missionaries are more (short-term) ambassadors for American Contemporary Christian Culture than they are (life-term) ambassadors for Christ, committed to the people God has sent them to. :-( Happily, we do not have (a lot of) this kind of problem in my own fellowship! We are a lay church, and our focus is on mutual commitment, healthy family, outreach and fellowship with our neighborhood, and have a church school (all parents are 'volunteered' :-)) to nurture (evangelize) our own children to Christ. We chose to be 'out of touch' with the latest 'foreign' fads. :-) Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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248 | What are your church expectations? | Heb 10:25 | charis | 29766 | ||
Dear Belmaree, Greetings in the name of Jesus! May the Lord of Provision, Jehovah-jireh lead your path to the desire of your heart. I read your personal profile after posting to you and saw that you are in Valparaiso, near Green Acres! Well, I am in Yokohama, near Tokyo, and was in a similar situation 15 years ago. My community has about 8 million people, but none of the churches in the area were preaching the Gospel, but instead an 'agenda.' After much searching, my (pregnant) wife, 3 year old daughter and I started meeting in our living room. God has been faithful to make us into a local expression of the body of Christ. I am certain that He will guide you to a similar blessing. I have a Daytimer notebook with all my studies and sermon outlines. Page one has this written: "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel--these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth." Zecheriah 4:10 NASB, and "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33 NASB. Blessings and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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249 | One religion as good as another? | John 14:6 | charis | 29651 | ||
Dear Servant7, Greetings to you in the name of Jesus! I agree with you that the Abrahamic covenant may well be in effect. In fact, that is what I was saying in my post, right? I seem to be missing something here. What two studies? While I am here, I might as well say that as to the salvation of Israel and/or the Jews, I am not sure I can accept that without a disclaimer. If we are talking about a geopolitical entity and/or an ethnic group that have the reputation of a penchant for mammon (tongue in cheek, cousins! :-)), I would have to disagree. But if we are talking about a nation of faith in the God of Abraham, El-Shadday and/or individuals that trust in the covenant made to their fathers, I could see that God will have a place for them in His heart. Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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250 | 'Practical' service? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29647 | ||
Dear Mike, Greetings from Yokohama in the name of Jesus! Friend, don't I know it about 'hidden agendas!' ;-) I assure you my agenda is bound on my hand and as a frontal on my forehead, all in plain view! I am a minister of the gospel called to shepherd a local church. I attempt to do so by the leading of the Holy Spirit, and in accord with the Bible, making good use of the bountiful gifts and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I am far away from 'mainstream American Christianity,' my posts may seem a bit dated or unorthodox. In addition, my personality is a bit warped from an appreciation for the irony of human hypocrisy, arrogance and bigotry (a.k.a. humor). Finally, I live in an environment that is decidedly hostile to Christianity and does not have a lot of tolerance (or appreciation) for 'spiritual' talk, so I tend to have more interest in the 'practical' side of faith in the Lord Jesus. That said, your answers were very good. Thank you! I agree with your comments on faithfulness. Sadly, this attribute seems to be on the wane in the church today. We could ALL use more patience, yes? :-) Blessings and love in Christ Jesus, charis |
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251 | 'Practical' service? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29639 | ||
Dear Mike, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Trust me, my friend, I was not seeking philosophical answers. Nothing could be farther from my intent! I was actually asking for things a lot simpler that you answered. :-) In 1) you came very close when you said the word 'church.' I was indeed asking about our attitude of service to and in the local church, to our leaders and our fellows. 2) What about commitment, responsibility, and orderliness? 3) Do we not also serve God by serving His church, His body? Our portrayal of the Gospel to lost and to the saints is a form of service, too. Please be patient with me! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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252 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29637 | ||
Dear Emmaus, Greetings in Jesus' name! I'm sorry if my post came off as cryptic. I guess I was 'fishing' with the wrong bait! :-) I was trying to find practical ways to express and improve our service to one another in the context of the local church. Many church 'services' are institutionalized into 'dead works,' with little heart, just programs intended to make people feel good. I have seen that many shepherds are 'professional' hirelings that do not have a sense of commitment to the flock other than as a 'step to the next rung.' Likewise, many sheep treat their shepherd as a 'public servant' with little commitment to him other than as required by social propriety. Some even treat paid ministers as an intrusion upon their little community fiefdom. As I see it, the Bible encourages us to have a strong sense of family among the brethren, not just a Sunday morning 'hello.' It is this thing that I inquire about. What does the Bible say about shepherd/sheep and sheep/sheep fellowship? Does that clarify my question, or just muddy things further? :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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253 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29604 | ||
Dear Emmaus, Greetings in the name of Jesus! C'mon, brother (right?), be bold! :-) Of course, we could just say that the entire Bible was given to us that we might learn how to serve God and His people, and leave it at that. I think it is a valid topic to pursue here on a Bible Forum: How do we serve God and His church in a practical, daily sense? Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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254 | Trinity? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29516 | ||
Dear Johnny, Greetings in Jesus' name! Friend, I must confess that I don't understand the point of your 'clarification.' It is no bother at all, but what are you reacting about? Who do you mean by 'our?' Blessings to you as well in Christ Jesus, charis |
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255 | Jesus' name baptism? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29499 | ||
Dear RevRobert, Greetings in Jesus' name! I agree with the statements you made so far. I baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) and the circumcision of heart (Colossians 2:11,12). But I am also a firm believer in the triune nature of God. Though I do not like the 'Trinitarian' moniker much, I am completely against the 'Oneness' or 'Jesus-only' bent. As has been noted, much has been said about this issue, so reading through this thread and a few others might be helpful. Blessings to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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256 | Sumission to authority? | Heb 13:17 | charis | 28737 | ||
Dear Searcher, Greetings in the name of Jesus! If you are teaching in your church, you are required to teach as your pastor teaches. Otherwise you would be a root of division in the local church. You may have a different opinion in areas such as this, but you are required to make sure your pastor knows of this difference, and also knows that you will not go around teaching a 'different gospel.' Submission to authority is not submission to thought control. But honesty and integrity are attributes missing in the leadership of many churches, leading to confusion and division, neither of which pleases God. The shepherd is the door for the sheep. True, many shepherds don't act like shepherds! Just as true, many sheep don't act like sheep! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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257 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | charis | 28568 | ||
Dear Nolan, Greetings in the name of Jesus! I am not saying that we are born again and again. I am not saying that we re-crucify Jesus. Both of those statements imply that we lose are salvation and are in need of another jolt of salvation juice, and I have never said anything of the sort. I have always been a champion of NOT losing salvation, so these statements are far from applicable to my opinion. (not contention:-)) I am saying (again) that I believe that sanctification and glorification are part and parcel of our salvation experience, our still-progressing knowledge of God, and the God-initiated relationship we have with Him to the fulfilling of His purposes. You are saying that salvation is our justification experience, that leads to sanctification, that leads to glorification. Frankly, that doesn't sound too different from what I have been saying all along. (except that you insist on using the word instantaneous) :-) Friend Nolan, why do you keep saying that I am saying that we are born again and again, saved again and again? I do not believe in several tiers of salvation, nor do I believe in a flip-flop relationship with God based on our works. Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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258 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | charis | 28476 | ||
Dear CDBJ, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Indeed this is good food for thought! Without a lot of research on my own, I will just say that some may be upset with a ' mid-relationship salvation point.' If I get your drift, we are not truly saved until a point in time when the Word has worked in us (gestation?) for a while, then we are born again. At this point in time the work is done, with no further saving work in our lives. Is that right? I still see that the Holy Spirit would be working in our lives sanctification to the end of glorification. This sounds a lot like a separate 'conversion' experience some time after we meet the Lord. Brother, don't get me wrong! :-) I am not completely against the idea of conversion. The reason that I cannot deny it completely is because the IS empirical evidence that many DO come to a (later) point of 'knowing' God. (as compared to meeting Him) But I have to say that it could lead to a (as one brother phrased) 'dreaded two-tiered Pentecostal salvation.' Actually, my thoughts do not run in 'tiers' at all, but a sense of our whole relationship with the Lord, with many portions or aspects. Some are synchronous, some are progressive. It starts when the Holy Spirit initiates the relationship, and culminates personally when we meet Him face to face, and corporately when He finishes His glorious plan of salvation for mankind. In any case this question was brought forth as food for thought, and I have enjoyed the various opinions! Thank you! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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259 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | charis | 28474 | ||
Dear Nolan, Greetings in Jesus' name! So, are sanctification and glorification part of salvation? "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12,13 NASB. "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14 NASB. "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat." Proverbs 13:4 NASB. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." 1 Corinthians 9:24,25 NASB. "Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience." Hebrews 4:11 NASB. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." Galatians 6:7-9 NASB. "...but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18 NASB. Brother, there are more than a few more Scriptures that speak of the pursuit of salvation. None of them are salvation by works! But the holy desire to finish what God has done in our hearts, by serving Him, by giving our wills to Him. God perfects us in this life, to the end of glorification, which is the culmination of our relationship with God. Our God wants us to live a saved life, and is pleased with us when we confirm His work through submission. No one is saying we get saved over and over again. :-) But we ARE saved daily! Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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260 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | charis | 28418 | ||
Dear Nolan, (now that I have your attention! :-)) Greetings to you in the name of Jesus! Friend, you must know what I mean, because your post reflects it! :-) The main difference of opinion that we seem to have is that you separate sanctification, glorification and our eternal walk with the Lord from salvation. I believe that all of these things are an integral part of our salvation. In other words, salvation equals our entire relationship with God, most of which has not yet come to pass, though all of it is assured by His promises. I think that the letters by Peter and James (who were shepherds!) speak of this. Blessings and love to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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