Results 381 - 400 of 1806
|
||||||
Results from: Notes Author: stjohn Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
381 | MEANING OF ON THE VERGE OF A BREKTHROUGH | 2 Tim 2:15 | stjohn | 215488 | ||
Dear Job, Well. Job, I must say we are not at all equipped to answer such a question. There is no way we could know what you are thinking about or what it may mean to you. I hope you figure it out though. Job, this is a Bible study, not a chat-room or advice website, so please, if you have a question that concerns the Bible, you are more then welcome to ask or discus it here, but please keep it about the Bible and the study of the Bible in your future posts. And please take your keyboard off caps-lock, writing in "CAPITAL LETTERS" is hard to read. Thanks. John |
||||||
382 | Hank | 2 Cor 1:10 | stjohn | 215465 | ||
Dear Doc, I for one can say that I'm throughly convinced, that I would be more then a few notches less of the man I am, were it not for the kindly and godly influence of our dear brother and friend Hank. The forum will not be the same without him. He will be sorely missed. I cannot contain my tears, and I weep for my own sorrow and sore grief, but behind those tears is gladness. Because glory to God he has gone before us to behold the face of our Master, and Saviour, and we shall see him again on our our own homecoming day. What a glorious day that will be-!! Praise God, Hank has reached his goal, and the end of his race! Shalom and God bless John |
||||||
383 | Luke 10:1 | Luke 10:1 | stjohn | 215457 | ||
A big Amen to that, brother! :-) | ||||||
384 | Luke 10:1 | Luke 10:1 | stjohn | 215453 | ||
Dear Mike, Yes indeed! Makarios has answered very well! It's good to have him posting again with his well researched posts. John |
||||||
385 | Knowledge alone is folly | Bible general Archive 4 | stjohn | 215429 | ||
"The Scriptures should be read with the aim of finding Christ in them. Whoever turns aside from this object, even though he wears himself out all his life in learning, he will never reach the knowledge of the truth." - John Calvin | ||||||
386 | is this the work of the devil or cults? | NT general | stjohn | 215386 | ||
My pleasure. :-) | ||||||
387 | is this the work of the devil or cults? | NT general | stjohn | 215383 | ||
Dear Jeff, Knowing you to be a Christian with a background in mental health, I was hoping you would weigh in on this one. When questions of this nature come up, you are a special blessing to us! Thanks for a good post, Jeff! :-) John |
||||||
388 | how can Barnabas sell or possess land | Acts 4:36 | stjohn | 215370 | ||
Hi MJH, No problem about the mess. I've cleaned up some pretty bad stuff in my day. I've been an attendant for an alcoholic quadriplegic, worked as a janitor in a government run day-care center, (with over a hundred kids) raised kids, lots of puppies, and barn-yard animals, so I'm no stranger to messes!:-) Well, I'll try to address your p.s. first. Though I thought already had? Liv.25:34 clearly says: "But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual possession." so though there is nothing wrong with Barnabas owning land under the OT ceremonial law, Gill points out that under the new covenant, Jesus having fulfilled the law, Barnabas was then free to sell that land, (Liv 25:34 says he cannot sell it) and now not being under that OT dispensation of not being allowed to sell the land, he is now free to do so. Now I think where the problem may lie with people saying you are in error for trying to keep the ceremonial law is, because some that do (and there is nothing wrong in doing that, if that's what you want to do) but some say they do it because it is obeying God's command to do so. That a real problem, because it brings into question the issue of not judging your brother in regard to feast days and holy days and sabbath days and eating clean or unclean foods. We are not to judge in regard to those things. But if it is said that it is commanded then, by implication, it judges those who do not chose to follow the ceremonial law, because again, by implication, they would be sining by not obeying. Anyway I think that is maybe where the problem is. So, if you want to, to honer God, then by all means, go for it, but just don't say it is commanded. And if they still say you are in error, then I believe they are the ones who are judging you, and, they then would be in error. It's very important to keep in mind too, that we are not talking about God's moral law, which we all should strive to keep, and God certainly does command us to do that. Though, of course we will fail, and we should bring our sins to the cross on a daily bases to get cleaned up. But hey, that's a joy, knowing He will always be there to wash us up and brush us off, just like any loving father would. :-) I hope that helps. Shalom and God bless John |
||||||
389 | Calvin on Romans | Romans | stjohn | 215364 | ||
"With regard to the excellencies of this Epistle, I know not whether it would be well for me to dwell long on the subject; for I fear, lest through my recommendations falling far short of what they ought to be, I should do nothing but obscure its merits: besides, the Epistle itself, at its very beginning, explains itself in a much better way than I can. I will therefore simply lay out the argument of this great letter. For it can never be sufficiently appreciated that when anyone gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture. The whole Epistle is so methodical, that even its very beginning is framed according to the rules of art… For having begun with the proof of his Apostleship, he then comes to the Gospel with the view of recommending it; and as this necessarily draws with it the subject of faith, he glides into that, being led by the chain of words as by the hand: and thus he enters on the main subject of the whole Epistle -- justification by faith; in treating which he is engaged to the end of the fifth chapter. The subject then of these chapters may be stated thus -- that man’s only righteousness is through the mercy of God in Christ, which being offered by the Gospel is apprehended by faith. To begin, he must first convince men, asleep in their sins and the flattery of self-righteousness, of their guilt. Not only the pagans are arraigned, but they who boast in the law are brought to God’s tribunal, exposing the fictitious holiness of ‘saintlings.’ Having deprived all of any of their own righteousness before God, St. Paul then lays down his main subject -- justification by faith." --John Calvin | ||||||
390 | Luther on Romans and Law | Romans | stjohn | 215363 | ||
"You had better follow the order of this epistle. Worry first about Christ and the gospel, that you may recognize your sin and his grace. Then fight your sin, as the first eight chapters here have taught. Then, when you have reached the eighth chapter, and are under the cross and suffering, this will teach you correctly of predestination in chapters 9, 10, and 11, and how comforting it is… In chapter 12 he teaches what true worship is, and makes all Christians priests. They are to offer not money or cattle, as under the law, but their own bodies, with slaying of the lusts. Then he describes the outward conduct of Christians, under the spiritual government, telling how they are to teach, preach, rule, serve, give, suffer, love, live, and act toward friend, foe, and all men. These are the works that a Christian does; after all, faith takes no holidays.... This Epistle is really the chief part of the NT, and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes." --Martin Luther | ||||||
391 | how can Barnabas sell or possess land | Acts 4:36 | stjohn | 215362 | ||
MJH, It seems simple enough that Gill, in order to exonerate Barnabas from any transgression of the law for those who may have a problem with this, was referring back to Liv.25:34 wherein it says: "But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual possession." so he pointed out quite rightly that the "ceremonial" law (which was a shadow of things to come, namely, Christ's work on the cross) had by this time been done away with. We must remember that not one dot or tittle of it shall be overlooked. And for those who feel or think they are in God's favor for putting themselves back under this ceremonial law... If you don't keep every part of it, and if you overlook one dot or tittle, the tiniest bit; one iota, you are in deep trouble. Frankly, I'd prefer to rely on His grace. John |
||||||
392 | The sacrifice of thankful servitude | Romans | stjohn | 215357 | ||
"The problem that all of humanity faces is the wrath of God, which is entirely justified because the Gentiles know God according to general revelation and the Jews know God according to special revelation, yet both have failed to truly acknowledge God, since they have violated His law. Since everyone is under sin and God’s wrath, the only way out is the gospel: the announcement that in Christ God has provided a righteousness that satisfies His holy requirements. Christ has absorbed God’s wrath in His death and justifies the wicked by His resurrection. All of this is received through faith alone, apart from works, as the examples of Abraham and David demonstrate. Yet God has not only secured our salvation from the condemnation of the law, but also from the dominion of sin and death. Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, we are made new creatures. However, we continue to struggle throughout our life with indwelling sin and the only hope we have is to look outside of ourselves to Christ, with the indwelling Spirit testifying in our hearts to our free adoption and keeping alive within us the hope that not only we but the whole creation will share in the final redemption. In the light of all of this, nothing can separate us from God’s love. But how can we trust this gospel if God has been unfaithful to His earlier promises to Israel? Well, God has always maintained His prerogative of election even among the physical descendants of Abraham. Salvation is not a matter of physical descent or of human decision or effort, but of God’s mercy alone. God has been faithful to His promises because even now an elect remnant is being saved from among Jews and Gentiles, and after God adds alien Gentile branches to the Tree of Israel, He will finally bring in the fullness of the Jews as well. In view of these mercies that stagger our imagination, we can now offer not the dead sacrifices of animals for atonement but our own bodies as living sacrifices for thanksgiving and praise. In that light, stop judging each other about 'things indifferent' and get on with the business of loving and serving each other." --Michael S. Horton |
||||||
393 | people places and things OT | Bible general Archive 4 | stjohn | 215343 | ||
MJH, I beg your pardon sir, but I am not crazy... and, neither am I. :-) |
||||||
394 | people places and things OT | Bible general Archive 4 | stjohn | 215309 | ||
Try this link: http://www.esvstudybible.org | ||||||
395 | Resurrection Day, not easter! | Exodus | stjohn | 215307 | ||
Dear humillity, below is some informayion that I hope will increase your unterdtanding of the Sabbath rest. The Sabbath was a command given specifically to Israel. There is no biblical record whatsoever of anybody keeping the Sabbath prior to Exodus 16 (Neh. 9:13-14). Even after they received the full-blown Sabbath command (Ex. 20:8-11), Israel who often condemned the sins of her pagan neighbors, never criticized their violation of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was part of God’s ceremonial law and not grounded in His unchanging character. The Sabbath was a ceremonial law given specifically to Israel, not grounded in God’s unchanging nature. Similar to the entire old covenant, it has been fulfilled and brought to completion in Christ (Mt. 5:17). If David had a right to make an exception in the ceremonial law, Jesus had more (Mt. 12:1-8; c.f 5:21-48). Even Jesus said," The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mk. 2:27). Moreover, He called Himself the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Lk. 6:5). The Sabbath was the sign of the Old Covenant (Ex. 31:16-17; Neh. 9:14; Eze. 20:12). Because we are now under the New Covenant we are no longer under obligation to keep the Old Covenant, particularly the sign of the Old Covenant. The writer to the Hebrews remarked, "When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear" (Heb. 8:13). The New Testament nowhere commands Christians to observe the Sabbath. The church is warned of many sins in the New Testament, but breaking (or observing) the Sabbath is never mentioned. The book of Acts mentions the Sabbath nine times, never once as a day of worship for Christians. If anything, the Apostle Paul rebuked the Galatians for attempting to add the observance of days to the sufficiency of Christ’s work for salvation (Gal. 4:9-11). The church even changed their day of worship from Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath) to Sunday (the Lord’s Day) (Ac. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) to show that a new order had been erected with the resurrection of Christ (Jn. 20:1, 19). Jesus Christ through His redemptive work regained the Sabbath that Adam lost. Jesus Christ came to complete a redemptive work (Jn. 4:34; 5:36) by restoring the rest that was forfeited in the Garden. In following the same pattern for the first creation, Jesus Christ began the work spoken of in Genesis 3:15 (c.f. Gen. 1:3). He completed the work on the cross (Jn. 17:4; 19:30; c.f. Gen. 1:5). The work was met with God’s satisfaction by the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Rom. 1:3-4; Gen. 1:4) leading again to divine rest (Heb. 10:11-12; c.f. Gen. 2:1-3). The Sabbath was a sign that pointed to something greater. Like much of the Old Testament, the Sabbath pointed to Jesus Christ. The Old Testament Sabbath preached the gospel when it called for faith and a cessation of work (Rom. 4:4-5). We dishonor our Savior when the signs still receive the preeminence that He alone deserves. Now that Jesus is here, the signs have become obsolete (Heb. 8:13). The Apostle Paul said, "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17). Jesus is the new Joshua that leads God’s children to a greater Promised Land of rest (Mt. 1:21). Jesus is the new Sabbatical Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-10) that provides a greater cancellation of debts (Lk. 4:18-19). Jesus Christ has now become the Sabbath rest for Christians under the New Covenant. God has completed His work of the new creation. Christians are the first fruits of that creation (2 Cor.. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Our rest, as it was enjoyed by Adam everyday, has again been restored. During this life we still deal with some remnants of the curse, but we recognize our rest in Christ (from meritorious works) through faith and daily worship (Col. 3:17). Due to His redemptive work, He has become our Sabbath rest. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Mt. 11:28-30; c.f. Heb. 4:1-11). The Christian’s ultimate Sabbath rest will be enjoyed in heaven (Rev. 14:13; c.f. 14:11). Though we currently rest in Jesus Christ under the New Covenant, our supreme Sabbatical rest will be realized in heaven where we will enjoy the ultimate rest in the culmination of God’s new creation (Rev. 21:4; 22:1-2) away from the curse in the direct presence of the Lamb (Rev. 22:3). also see: http://ldolphin.org/sabbathrest.html I hope this will help you with your understanding of the rest we have in Christ, who is our sabbath rest. We are in Christ and He is our rest, forever in Christ! John |
||||||
396 | weeping | Revelation | stjohn | 215295 | ||
Amen! How indeed... can words alone, describe the indescribable? Thanks again Jeff. I have all my short life long had trouble forming words around even the most mundane of thoughts. It has only been a few even shorter years sense I've been saved, and only with the help of the Holy Spirit that, I've been even mildly successful. :-) All Praise and glory to God! John |
||||||
397 | Anonymity | 2 Cor 2:15 | stjohn | 215291 | ||
Dear Jason, I believe you could say, in truth, discipleship, and, anonymity, is oxymoron. The terms that describe them are, antipodal, perhaps too paradoxical to be used to describe the same state of being. I would have to ask: How can you do one, and be thee other? John |
||||||
398 | weeping | Revelation | stjohn | 215289 | ||
Awesome! My thanks to Barnes, and to you, Jeff, for providing us with that answer. I had to read it twice, but that just made it twice as nice when I finally grasped it's depth; and I think you may be right, I have my doubts that a better answer could be had! When we earnestly contemplate the awesomeness of the events that were unfolding before John, it truly boggles the imagination! It is but a little book, but behind it's seals are truths that will effect all of God's creation from the beginning of time and into all eternity; and yet, there is no one in heaven or on earth who can open it. John was probably in his nineties, and had spent all of his adult life following the Lord and doing His will. And John being the last of the twelve, so privileged to have spent three plus years beholding the face of the Lord Himself in the flesh; and being taught by Him personally. One might indeed say that perhaps John had a greater faith then any other man that ever lived, save perhaps our Lord, the man Jesus Christ Himself. I believe John had been waiting for the Lords return, and you could say by reading his and other of the Apostles writings that, he fully expected the Lord to return at any time. John must have contemplated many times, his whole life long, what it would be like and what should happen when our Lord finally returned. And here it was before him, and yet, no one, but no one, could open the seals that revealed this truth. John |
||||||
399 | Resurrection Day, not easter! | Exodus | stjohn | 215263 | ||
Dear nick, Thanks for the post, showing some common sense. It's just a little too rare it seems these days. I like your sense of humor about the Bunny, too. When someone asks me what I'm having for Easter dinner... With a wry smile, I'll say to them: "Wabbit, hehehe". :-) |
||||||
400 | Amazing Grace! | Bible general Archive 4 | stjohn | 215205 | ||
Dear forum members, I just wanted to share this with all of you. This morning's sunrise service, at one of our local Churches, the folks ended the service with the classic hymn, Amazing Grace, and as the words came round to, "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun", the sun shown through the clouds, clear, bright and warm, and, as the song ended... the sun, ever so slowly, sliped back behind the clouds... Amazing! :-) John |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ] Next > Last [91] >> |