Results 301 - 320 of 465
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
301 | what is your point? | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 55086 | ||
No, you can only quit once. Temporarily not using is not the same thing as quitting. Your inablility to quit shows that you are exactly the personality that cannot do it on your own, which is everyone. Your pridefullness is showing that you have not yet admitted you are powerless over your addiction and realized that the only way to be free of it is to give it and yourself over to God. That you become legalistic and judgemental shows you are still looking outward instead of at yourself and that you do not yet understand the dynamics of this spiritual illness. You are correct that you must leave behind your old life, especially your party friends, not because of your harsh judgement of that lifestyle and those you share it with, but rather because you see that you cannot survive their company nor withstand the forces that drive their using. You must not think that you can help them while you are still in bondage to this. Yes, we are salt and light, but don't deceive yourself into believing you are either until the Lord delivers you from this. Many have fallen because they underestimated how deeply the hook is set. Parable |
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302 | what is your point? | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 55029 | ||
OK. Praise God that you have made this decision. Believe it or not, this is probably the easiest part. I suggest you get started by getting substance abuse education in concert with group fellowship for life recovery. There's a lot going on with getting away from pot, don't underestimate how hard it's going to be and don't beat yourself up if you can't make a clean break on your own, which is usually not how it works. Stay in touch, I'm interested to know how things go and to support you. Parable |
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303 | what is your point? | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 54980 | ||
I'm confused. What exactly are you suggesting is the biblical position as to smoking pot? | ||||||
304 | question to smoke pot or not | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 54955 | ||
The summary of Christian liberty you cite is reasonable, yet I question its application in this case. Consider the potential consequences of using liberty in Christ to justify our actions, thereby setting an example for others to follow: Matt 18:6 "but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Of course, the problem comes only if the actions are sinful. I understand that this is precisely the question you're asking in regard to smoking pot, and my point is that experience shows time after time that drug abuse interferes with one's relationship with God, even to the point of getting the person to think they are immune from such influence. It reminds me of a line from the movie "The Usual Suspects", when Kevin Spacey's character says "The best trick the devil ever pulled was getting people to believe he didn't exist." (my paraphrase) Also, consider Paul's admonition about our liberty in Christ: Romans 6:15 "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" Again, the problem comes when the actions are sinful. Of course, the final authority for such personal decisions is the Holy Spirit, yet He does not force anyone to follow or even to hear. While He has given His Word in Scripture, He also leads us in our daily lives, when we attempt to apply His Word to specific circumstances unique to our times. A person who is spiritually lost must recognize that fact and then sincerely admit the need for guidance. Then, when He speaks, to listen and obey. But you already knew this. As a follower of Christ, you stand ready to do or not do as He commands. So rather than attempt to validate your decision by intricate debate, ask Him his will in this. But don't ask until you are as ready to stop smoking pot as you are to continue. Until you are ready to obey, asking is not meaningful and no amount of logical analysis will persuade you to abandon your selfish desires. Parable. p.s. in an earlier note, you said that you have access and don't support the illegal drug trade. I presume this is because you are smoking your father's pot that was prescribed to him by a doctor. Offering prescribed medications to others and taking another person's prescription are violations of federal law. So, for you to smoke pot in this way implies that you and possibly your father are committing a crime. In this specific case, scripture is clear that you must stop. Forget the idealistic arguement about what it would mean if this were not the case. The fact is, this is the case and this is the situation in which you are called to apply scripture. Hypothetical situations, by definition, do not exist. |
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305 | question to smoke pot or not | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 54872 | ||
The big picture is a mosaic made from our individual lives and what affects us individually affects the big picture. You said "I will smoke it whether or not it is illegal" then said the point is "what is the motivation?" For Christians, our motivation is for everything we think, say, do and become to reflect the life of Jesus Christ in us and through us. You have said "there remains a choice". I agree, but the choice is not between smoking pot or not smoking pot. It's about choosing between life and death, i.e. continuing in sin or dying to your old nature and being raised in Christ. The pot question is just a distraction, an indirect attack on your spirit. Drug abuse is a sign of a spiritual illness. The answer you want lies in recognizing and accepting your guilt before God, i.e. conviction by the Spirit, and by accepting His forgiveness and grace through what Jesus did for you on the cross. |
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306 | question to smoke pot or not | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 54819 | ||
I agree that our policies regarding the dispensation of illegal drug users should balance justice and love. I agree that we can and should disable the lucrative economic forces that drive illicit drug production and distribution. I agree that we are not to judge others. I agree that the marijuana plant has many legitimate uses, including legitimate medical treatment supervised by a doctor. I agree that tobacco and alcohol can be equally problematic. I agree that there has been and still is much misunderstanding concerning marijuana, yet there is also now well established scientific evidence that marijuana is exceedingly harmful when smoked. Not just because of the active drug THC, which affects brain chemistry via modification of chemical receptors in the neural synapse, but also because of the plethora of other partially combusted and highly reactive toxic substances in the smoke. Perhaps more significantly, smoke comprises sub-micron particulates that are delivered into the smallest alveoli of the lungs and cannot be easily elimated through expectoration, causing chronic inflammation at the blood-gas interface, thus creating a persistent demand on the local immune system. I agree that eating the plant or drinking the tea is probably less harmful than smoking, but the significant impact of THC on brain chemistry remains, as evidenced by the high achieved via these routes of ingestion. Your commentaries are not without merit, but to be honest, it seems you are trying to find a biblical way to justify marijuana use, or at least that the bible does not prohibit it. Is this a case of the ends justifying the means? Finally, I agree that chocolate, like anything, can become an object of idolatry. If this is true for chocolate, how much more true is it for marijuana? Peace and Clarity, Parable |
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307 | question to smoke pot or not | Gen 1:12 | Parable | 54774 | ||
The following statement is irrefutable: "All known addicts tried their drug once." This does not imply that every person who tries or casually uses a drug will become addicted, but it is well established that the risk of addiction associated with illict drugs is great and the cost of addiction are high. The Lord instructs us to pray "lead us not into temptation". Risking addiction by the use of a powerful drug is to enter into temptation. Addiction is bondage or servitude to a substance and is to me a form of idolatry. As Christians, we are to serve only God. Addicts serve their addictions. The only true cure for addiction is surrender to God, dying to the addiction and rebirth as a non-user. If the next question is, "what if a person is not an addict?", it's probably just a matter of time until the meaning of "addict" becomes clear. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. |
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308 | What is the most used word in the Bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 52562 | ||
statistical satisfaction? | ||||||
309 | What is the most used word in the Bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 52555 | ||
Sorry, I couldn't resist :) To answer your question better....wouldn't it depend on which translation you picked? If you were interested in the original Hebrew or Greek, you probably aren't interested in the articles or pronouns, but rather the "meaningful" words, right? This makes counting more difficult. Also, some words that you might consider to be the same might appear in different forms, e.g. hear, heard, see, saw, etc. It seems your question could be very easy or very difficult to answer, depending on what you mean. In any case, the way to go about it would be to do a word count with a digital version using a computer. Parable |
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310 | What is the most used word in the Bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 52553 | ||
What is NOT the most used word in the Bible. What is on second. Who is on first and I Don't Know is on third... |
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311 | The Bible and Science, #3 | Ps 102:26 | Parable | 52245 | ||
I'm not sure what you mean by anti-chance, but I agree with you that the 2nd law seems contrary to the chance assembly of life-sustaining complexity. Contrary to popular belief, the 2nd law is a mathematical summary of practical experience rather than an exact conclusion derived from first principles. In this sense it is quite different from the 1st Law, which states that the energy of an isolated system is constant. Also, the second law assumes a closed system, so it does not hold for open systems, i.e. those in communication with external energy sources. The way scientists get around this problem for cosmology is they redefine their new system to include whatever energy source was outside of the original system. If taken to the infinite limit, this means the 2nd law holds for the universe as an unbounded but closed system. To me, this is a paradoxical situation. Materialisms suggests that life could form spontaneously if the decrease in the local entropy, represented by the formation of a complex organism, was countered by an increase in the entropy of the overall system, represented by increased disorder someplace else. Chaos theory models how this could happen, i.e. order can arise from disorder so that energy can be dissipated efficiently. An example is the complex structure of a lightening bolt that discharges lots of energy quickly. Yet, how this redistribution of entropy works for life-forms is not clear, but in principle, its supposed to be the explanation. That's all well and fine if you accept the idea the universe is closed. As someone who knows that God is with us, I do not believe this. God is the ultimate energy source. Furthermore, His Creation is the basis for our understanding of thermodynamics, not vice-versa. This is similar to the idea that many people err when they interpret Scripture in the light of their experiences, rather then interpreting their experinces in the light of scripture. Parable |
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312 | Yes, but are we to judge others in this? | NT general Archive 1 | Parable | 51996 | ||
Searcher, I was agreeing with you. I should have indicated that my exposition was directed at the practice of excluding others, rather than ourselves. Sorry for not clarifying my intent. Parable |
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313 | Yes, but are we to judge others in this? | NT general Archive 1 | Parable | 51901 | ||
Communion that is closed to us hardly seems like communion at all. In the preceding verses, Paul describes that the practice of the Lord's supper had become irreverant and self-serving, i.e. a dinner party instead of a solemn remembrance, with gluttony and drunkeness. How do we go from rebuking that practice to excluding people who want to come to the Lord's table but have not proven their righteousness to the local elders and so are excluded? As Paul says in 11:28, "But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup." Examine himself, not be examined by others, right? Isn't this a matter of personal conscience, like when we are to reconcile our disputes before offering our worship, i.e. Matthew 5:23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." Parable |
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314 | is closed communion hypocritical? | NT general Archive 1 | Parable | 51838 | ||
Furthermore, isn't unrepentant sin always present, e.g.1 John 1:8 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." even though those in Christ are no longer condemned for it, e.g. Romans 8:1"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? Doesn't it follow then that closed communion, as you have described, can never achieve what it sets out to accomplish. Finally, because there is no scriptural basis for it, spiritual pride is a likely outcome, e.g. 1 Cor 4:6 "Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. Parable |
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315 | The Bible and Science, #3 | Ps 102:26 | Parable | 51765 | ||
One way to exress the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is: "The entropy of an isolated system increases during any natural process." Entropy is understood in two ways: 1. In terms of energy, it is the amount of energy used to move energy from one place to another, i.e. the cost of doing business when moving energy around, like the fee you pay to a stockbroker to buy/sell stocks for you. 2. In terms of the randomness of a system, the natural progression is to go from order to chaos, i.e. from low entropy to high entropy. I think both meanings witness to spiritual issues. Clearly, by His death on the cross, Jesus paid for our sins, i.e. He paid the fee for us to move from spiritual death to eternal life. As for the other meaning, that all things decay, consider Psalm 102:25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26a They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. and Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Parable |
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316 | when is literal interpretation wrong? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51561 | ||
Hank, You are anything but common or run-of-the-mill! I have always found your comments to be insightful, helpful, respectful toward others and sometimes funny. Dr. Doolittle, indeed! Parable |
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317 | when is literal interpretation wrong? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51552 | ||
Yes, this is possible. The main point clearly is that God is the Creator and the testimony of the animals is being used as supporting evidence. It is not clear if the animals testify (actively) or if we are to infer something from their existence (defacto). We must be careful not to assume anything we don't understand (or doesn't fit with our present understanding) like) is poetry, allegory or analogy. By what measure can we know when scripture is not to be interpreted literally? |
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318 | what understanding DO animals have? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51549 | ||
Interesting answer. My take on Job is that the animals don't need to read his words because he's saying they already understand the truth. It is we who need to read his prophecy and if we don't believe, he exhorts us to ask the animals. By the way, unlike many who ask about animals, I'm worried about their eternal fate. I know God is just and loving and as far as I know, animals don't sin, so I trust Him to do with them as he pleases and they will be fine. Regarding 1 Cor 9:9, it is clear this is an analogy for people and oxen are merely the device. Yet, to me, this seems quite different from what Job is saying about the animals per se rather than what people do to them. Parable |
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319 | God as creator should be obvious | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51547 | ||
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I agree with what you have said about Man being made in the image of God and having the breath of life. I think the situation with the donkey in Numbers may be a special case because the Lord appeared to the donkey but not to Balaam until his eyes were opened. This accomplished the Lord's purpose in bringing Balaam to recognize his sin. It demonstrates at least that when God chose to show himself, the donkey did in fact see Him. Yet, its not clear if the donkey knew He was the Lord. Job 12 suggests a more general situation with the animals, i.e. that they know God is the Creator. I am fascinated by this idea because it would seem then that mere animals have knowledge that many people reject! Also, isn't Romans 1:20 saying pretty much the same thing, that the truth of God and Creation is obvious? |
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320 | Humility in OUR BiIble Interpetations | 1 John 2:16 | Parable | 51532 | ||
Amen. We should be humble in everything! Pride, the opposite of humility, destroys our relationship with God. James 3:13 "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." 1 Peter 3:15b "...to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." 1 John 2:16b "...the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." Parable |
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