Results 301 - 320 of 350
|
||||||
Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
301 | explain tithes acording to malachai 3:10 | Mal 3:10 | Aixen7z4 | 97741 | ||
One of these days I hope to write a long article on the subject of Tithing. It will be full of scripture references and it will be hopefully convincing. The aim will be to encourage us to take hold of the freedom for which Christ has made us free and to shake off the present bondage that has been imposed on us. It will say that Tithing is a relic of the Old Testament economy and is not for today. It will say that the Christian should consider all that he has as belonging to the Lord, and not just one tenth of it. It will say that Christians should give to the church gladly and freely as the Lord prospers them, after taking care of their personal and family needs. It will try to differentiate between needs and wants. It will say that the church should use what is given to meet the needs of those who minister and those who who are not able to work to meet their own needs. It will say that the church needs to reexamine its priorities and to spend the people's money the way the Lord intended. It might even say that there are too many church buildings and that those buildings are too large and too fancy. It might suggest that Christians return to a simpler form of life and spend less on fancy cars and clothes. It might suggest that our focus and our spending be more on spiritual things and less on material things. But the basic point will be that tithing should be eliminated from our vocabulary. It will suggest that the directions for our giving be taken from New testament passages such as Matthew 6:19; Luke 12:15; Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 9;2 Corinthians 9; Colossians 3:2; 1Timothy 6:10; James 2:8; etc. My article will suggest that Malachi 3:8 be replaced with Romans 12:1 in our thinking. Or perhaps I should say that each of these passages should be looked at again, and in their proper context. We realize that something is wrong when we are being asked to give and we find it hard, when we have needs, spiritual and material, and they are not being met. It will become clear that the governmental system of taxing those who have to meet the needs of those who serve and those who have not is working better than our own system of requiring tithing and seeing old ladies go hungry. Then we may realize that the tithe was the tax in Old Testament economy, when the civil government was a theocracy. But that article will have to wait for a while. I am not sure the church is ready for it. Besides, I have no desire to be controversial. |
||||||
302 | Tithing question | Mal 3:10 | Aixen7z4 | 97740 | ||
One of these days I hope to write a long article on the subject of Tithing. It will be full of scripture references and it will be hopefully convincing. The aim will be to encourage us to take hold of the freedom for which Christ has made us free and to shake off the present bondage that has been imposed on us. It will say that Tithing is a relic of the Old Testament economy and is not for today. It will say that the Christian should consider all that he has as belonging to the Lord, and not just one tenth of it. It will say that Christians should give to the church gladly and freely as the Lord prospers them, after taking care of their personal and family needs. It will try to differentiate between needs and wants. It will say that the church should use what is given to meet the needs of those who minister and those who who are not able to work to meet their own needs. It will say that the church needs to reexamine its priorities and to spend the people's money the way the Lord intended. It might even say that there are too many church buildings and that those buildings are too large and too fancy. It might suggest that Christians return to a simpler form of life and spend less on fancy cars and clothes. It might suggest that our focus and our spending be more on spiritual things and less on material things. But the basic point will be that tithing should be eliminated from our vocabulary. It will suggest that the directions for our giving be taken from New testament passages such as Matthew 6:19; Luke 12:15; Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 9;2 Corinthians 9; Colossians 3:2; 1Timothy 6:10; James 2:8; etc. My article will suggest that Malachi 3:8 be replaced with Romans 12:1 in our thinking. Or perhaps I should say that each of these passages should be looked at again, and in their proper context. We realize that something is wrong when we are being asked to give and we find it hard, when we have needs, spiritual and material, and they are not being met. It will become clear that the governmental system of taxing those who have to meet the needs of those who serve and those who have not is working better than our own system of requiring tithing and seeing old ladies go hungry. Then we may realize that the tithe was the tax in Old Testament economy, when the civil government was a theocracy. But that article will have to wait for a while. I am not sure the church is ready for it. Besides, I have no desire to be controversial. |
||||||
303 | How do we "contend for the faith"? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97162 | ||
And is it not too late now? Jude seemed to be so concerned about the coming in of false doctrine, he put aside a discussion of salvation to deal with it. And even today it seems there are so many false doctrines to contend with, we hardly have time to talk about salvation. Can we effectively contend for the faith today? In that day it was the church to keep false dctrine out. But by this time it has taken root and infested and permeated the church. Is that stating it too strongly? Now it seems that anyone trying to root out false doctrine is, in a sense, on the outside, and reaching in. What many have tried to do is to start a new church and then to keep it pure. But what they are really starting is a new denomination and they are immediately infected with the sin of sectarianism. They are not able to keep the small group pure, and the larger church is left to go from bad to worse. Does Jude's exhortation apply to the church of today at all? Or is the church, as J.N. Darby says, beyond repair? Nevertheless, Paul says that Jesus has made provision "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish". And Jude commits the church unto him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. So let it be. |
||||||
304 | How do you say "repent" gently? | Acts 3:26 | Aixen7z4 | 97159 | ||
And how do you warn them with love? Of Course, John Reformed is correct to point out that we must preach Isaiah 1:20 along with verse 18. But we can point out that God does not want anyone to perish (2Pe 3:9). Punishment is his "strange work" (Isa 28:21) and he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11). He does not force us; he gives us choices. But he encourages us to choose what is good for us (Deu 30:19). "You will be devoured with the sword" may sound harsh and I do not say we should avoid it. But we may temper it with words of love and entreaty. Our God is a consuming fire (Deu 4:24; Heb 12:29) but he is also love (1 john 4:16; 1 John 4:8). |
||||||
305 | Why not sentences | Rev 22:18 | Aixen7z4 | 97095 | ||
The original writings were, I assume, in the form of sentences. That is the way thoughts are expressed in every language. There is a question why the editors did not decide to assign one verse to each sentence. Some sentences are broken up into verses. John 13:2,3,4 are one sentence. Granted the sentence is long, but so is Ester 8;9, and it is left as one verse. The chapter divisions are also curious as there are very long ones (John 6) and very short ones (Malachi 4). Even more interesting is the fact that a chapter can end with a comma (Acts 21). That can be somewhat disconcerting, The idea of paragraphs seems to be a good one, but that makes it more difficult to locate the verse numbers. Bibles that have verses looking like paragraphs usually add a "¶" to indicate paragrahs transitions. We should be thankful for the people who do these things to help us. They are monumental tasks and I suppose the quirks may be due to phenomena such as fatigue and loss of concentration. If we can live with the locations of the letter keys on a QWERTY keyboard, I suppose we can live with quirky subdivisions of words. We should be aware that these divisions are not like the original writings especially in the fact that they were not inspired. The problem with quoting verses is that we may think that each one is a complete thought. It is not. Someone has pointed out that Philippians 2:5-8 is one sentence, and one thought. How many of us read read the passage and dote upon the fact that Jesus thought that way (humbly) and miss the point that we should do the same. That was the intent of the author, and the author, lest we forget, is the Holy Spirit. The original writings were, I assume, in sentences, and we would do well to read our Bibles that way. |
||||||
306 | HOW MANY PROMISES? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 97089 | ||
True, DarcyA, they are so many. Someone has said there are over 700. But you are also correct in saying that we need to define the term. Promises are everywhere in he Bible, but it is important to know who is making those promises, and to whom. It is also reasonable to say that the Bible is one promise. Or maybe we should say there are two: The Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Or perhaps we can say that there are 66, since each book of the Bible makes its own big promise. If there is only one promise, what would it be? I wonder. John says (1Jo 2:25) "this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life". But as you have noted, there are so many others. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. |
||||||
307 | who should speak in tounges? | 1 Cor 14:22 | Aixen7z4 | 96396 | ||
It means that tongues were a sign to Jews who still did not believe that Gentiles were being saved and becoming a part of the church. | ||||||
308 | Worldy music | Phil 4:8 | Aixen7z4 | 95986 | ||
The fact that you call it "worldly" suggests that you feel it is wrong to listen to it. If by "listen" you mean "listen briefly to check it out" that is one thing. You may have decided to listen for a bit to keep aware of what is going on. Your heart is probably telling you that that is OK. If your heart does not condemn you, then no one needs to tell you, "Taste not; touch not". If you listen regularly and enjoy "worldly music" it is probably true that your heart is condemning you. You may be thinking of verses such as 1Jo 2:16,17; to wit: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world". It may be that you are not thinking of your own habits at all, but concerned about the behavior of someone else. If so you may want to find out if they consider it to be "worldly music". Each of us will want to choose music which resonates with our body, soul or spirit. |
||||||
309 | What are some examples? | Phil 4:8 | Aixen7z4 | 95983 | ||
People in our Saturday fellowship suggested other examples: a baby, a square deal, a helping hand, an act of kindness, a confession, a reunion, self-sacrificing love, a comforting word. They thought those things were lovely and could be honest, or just or pure, and that we could be glad to share what we had been thinking about them. There might be virtue in such thinking and sharing. They were not sure how praise was involved and there was not time enough to discuss it. They did seem encouraged that there were so many positive things to think about. However, they were also concerned about the spiritual needs of the church and spent some time praying about that. I came away with three more things to think on: Their faithfulness, their love, and their sense of hope. |
||||||
310 | Searching for the truth | Phil 4:8 | Aixen7z4 | 95720 | ||
Something tells you that those things are sinful. You may have read verses such as 1Timothy 5:13, James 4:11, and Ephesians 4:25. So what kind of comments are you seeking? Sin is to be repented of and the opposite behaviors should be practiced. | ||||||
311 | freedom meaning? | Gal 5:1 | Aixen7z4 | 94914 | ||
It seems to be a restatement of Joh 8:36. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed". |
||||||
312 | Voice of the Lord Your God | Num 28:11 | Aixen7z4 | 94823 | ||
God ... spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets (but) hath in these last days (he) spoken unto us by his Son. Therefore we ought to give ... heed to the things which we have heard ... which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him ... these are (now) written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ ... and that ... ye might have life through his name ... and that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself ... (Hebrews, John, 1 Timothy). Long ago God spoke and the message was carried to the people by the apostles and prophets. Now the final word has been given by Jesus and it is all written. That which originated as a voice is now in writing. Individuals read it and preachers and teachers pass it on. Still there is the small voice of the Holy Spirit who told them what to write, telling us the meaning and urging us to obey it. But we to read it and listen to it carefully, and prayerfully, and wait for him to reveal the meaning of the words and the direction he wants you to take. "Voice" means "instructions". What used to be transmitted audibly is now in writing. |
||||||
313 | is it wrong to date or marry outside of | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 94806 | ||
It is true that in the Old Testament God commanded the Jews to marry only within their community (Exodus 34:16). However, this was not because of racial difference. It might be interesting to note that God did not consider the Jews to be a race of people. Foreigners could become Jews (Es 8:17). A Rahab and a Ruth could become one of them, so to speak, and even take their place in the lineage of Jesus. "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh" (Romans 2:28). In some sense, every believer is a Jew, because we are the child of Abraham. What we have in common is not genetics but faith. In the new covenant, however, believers are neither Jew nor Gentile but one new people, the church of God (1Co 10:32). Now, the foreigners, the outsiders, are the unsaved, and we are not to be yoked with them (2Co 6:14). |
||||||
314 | number of authors in bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 94801 | ||
I am inclined to agree with DarcyA that we do not know who many of the authors of particular books are. Because of the nature of Scripture one might say there is only one author, that being the Holy Spirit. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pe 1:21). "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ..." (2 Timothy 3:16). For those who count human authors I would like to ask: Do you know how authorship was assigned to Judges, Esther, Ruth, Job, Matthew, Mark, etc.? It is interesting that many think Paul wrote the letter to the Hebrews. Paul says (2Th 3:17) that he includes his name in every epistle he writes to show it is from him. Hebrews does not contain the name of Paul. Some authors, such as Paul and David have no apparent reluctance to "sign" their work. Some, such as John and Luke seem hesitant to do so. Some, such as Moses, are discovered indirectly. Some, again, write anonymously. It is apparent that human authorship is of some importance. However, it seems to be the mind of God that we assign much less importance to it, and more to the divine influence behind it. |
||||||
315 | Inspired By God? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 94729 | ||
If I may expand on that just a little bit ... Those divisions have been quite useful in helping us to locate passages of scripture. One disadvantage is that they may give the idea that a verse is the equivalent of a thought or that a chapter is dedicated to a single topic. With that we may fail to take into account the context of the statements made in a chapter or verse and thereby miss the full meaning. Some publishers have grouped verses into paragraphs. This is also not inspired, and as far as I know it is not based on the original form of writing. However, it is helpful because it helps to provide context. We should also be aware of context in terms of the theme and message of the entire book. |
||||||
316 | Did Uzzah has given chance to repent | Num 4:15 | Aixen7z4 | 94485 | ||
I would guess that English is not the easiest language for you. From the way you ask the question, it is not clear what you are wondering. Are you asking if Uzzah had a chance to repent, before he touched the ark? If so, the answer is Yes. Please read Acts 17:30. It says God allows ever person to repent. In fact, he requires it. "All men every where" includes Uzzah. If Uzzah had repented before he was killed then his spirit was saved. Please read 1 Corinthians 5:5. It says he body may be destroyed, but the spirit can still be saved. Are you asking if Uzzah had a chance to repent after he touched the ark? If so, the answer is No. In fact "Repent" is not the right word for that situation. When God speaks about repenting he never applies the word "repent" to single acts of sin. It always refers to a general attitude of rebellion. Please read Luke 13:1-5 and note verses 3 and 5. Concerning confession and getting forgiveness for single acts of sin, please read 1 John 1:8,9. Even the apostles sinned and needed to ask for forgiveness. But some people do not confess. Please read Acts 5:1-11 and note verses 5 and 10. Ananias and Sapphira also died without a chance to confess their sin and receive forgiveness. Many other examples could be given. God does not always give another chance. He is very patient, but he has to do justice at some point. He says, "My spirit shall not always strive with man" (Genesis 6:3). I wonder, my friend, whether you have repented. Are you hoping to gain salvation or to remain saved by confessing every sin? God says you can do one repentance today, that will last forever. Jesus will forgive all your sin and change your heart if you believe in him and trust him. |
||||||
317 | if someone died is there spirit on earth | Eccl 12:7 | Aixen7z4 | 93807 | ||
When someone dies? Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). |
||||||
318 | What about an abusif husband? | Ephesians | Aixen7z4 | 93582 | ||
Interesting that they have already had counseling. Counseling should do more than diagnose the problem and label the person. It should help him to change his behavior. You say the wife has done everything she can think of. Did the counselor have additional ideas for her, and for him? I suppose it is fair to assume that we are speaking about Christian counseling here. It will be found that the scriptures do allow for temporary separation. However, we would be hope that the family will have the opportunity to practice positive replacement behaviors. The Bible contains many of those. |
||||||
319 | What about an abusif husband? | Ephesians | Aixen7z4 | 93580 | ||
Interesting that they have already had counseling. Counseling should do more than diagnose the problem and label the person. It should help him to change his behavior. You say the wife has done everything she can think of. Did the counselor have additional ideas for her, and for him? I suppose it is fair to assume that we are speaking about Christian counseling here. It will be found that the scriptures do allow for temporary separation. However, we would be hope that the family will have the opportunity to practice positive replacement behaviors. he Bible contains many of those. |
||||||
320 | Given the chance to repent | Num 4:15 | Aixen7z4 | 93578 | ||
True. There is no repentance after death. But the same question might be asked of King Saul, and of Ananias, with Sapphira his wife. Time does not seem to be the critical element. The Lord said of one Jezebel "I gave her space to repent ... and she repented not" and of Esau it is said that "he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears". It may not be fair to say that you are questioning God's actions, but it is not wise to do so. There are some things we do not know and may not fully understand. This one thing we can say, that God is the judge of all the earth and he will do right. All his works are righteous altogether. We may also say that there is such a thing as a presumptuous sin. Let us pray, as David did (Ps 19:13) that we will be kept back from it. |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ] Next > Last [18] >> |