Results 41 - 60 of 253
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Unanswered Bible Questions Author: charis Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | Truly searching for a prophet? | Job | charis | 32341 | ||
Dear Jensen, Peace to you in the name of Jesus! Are you truly searching for a prophet? What do you want to hear? The weather report for next Christmas, perhaps? :-) Ranting about wrath to come? That God loves you? Or maybe the details of the 'two witnesses' or the 'seals' or the 'horsemen?' What about the exact date, time and location of Jesus' return. Brother, what is is you want to hear from a true prophet? I you ask me what I want to hear, I would say that I want to hear the word of God, living and active, separating wisdom and foolishness, the true and the false. This word would be edifying, exhorting and consoling, and would serve not only me, but all of His church. I already know much about the future days, they are written in the Bible. But I would like to know how I am to serve God and His people, and maybe where and to whom. God may quicken His servants to give holy guidance in these areas. Then again, maybe He will not, at least not yet. If you think about it, every shepherd should have at least a little sensitivity to the mind of God for the flock entrusted him. Is this not prophesy, and desirable, and pleasing to God? Friend, I sense a frustration, maybe even an anger in your post to EProphet. Yet I find little in his post that is offensive. Your final warning was either too melodramatic, or just plain rude and uncalled for. I guess only you know which. (unless, of course, I am a prophet! :-)) You may want to come to Yokohama sometime in your quest! Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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42 | Prophet idolatry? | Job | charis | 32295 | ||
Dear Jensen, Greetings in Jesus' name! Were any of the prophets perfect and without sin? Except for our Prophet, Priest and King, the Lord Jesus, all were men. We must not elevate Biblical figures (Mary, Abraham, Paul, Moses, etc.) to be any more than faithful persons of God, or we run the risk of setting them up as idols. The word of God can, and is often spoken without telling the future. Right? Sorry, But I must be off. I'll try to get back to this a bit later. Blessings to you, my friend, in Christ Jesus, charis |
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43 | Easy to deny Christ? | Matt 10:33 | charis | 31388 | ||
Dear Saints, I ask this question fully understanding the controversy, but nonetheless interested in the answer to this question: How 'easy' is it to deny Christ once we know him? Is it a common occurence? I well know that a good 'electionist' (;-)) would say that anyone that knew Christ could never deny Him, therfore all who deny Christ never really knew Him. I find this too pat, almost contrived. The Bible DOES seem to give some examples of those that denied Christ, after knowing Him, to their destruction. (but I have NEVER seen anything that hints at saved-lost-saved-lost... etc.) I also know that a good 'freewiller' (;-)) must say that we have the free-will to accept Jesus, and we can just a easily deny (reject) Him. I cannot accept this, as it gives God no glory as the Author (and Finisher) of our faith. But I DO see that the Scriptures they reference have merit. I guess I see both stances as too absolute, too rigid. Our God is a God of 'case by case,' personal judgement of each individual. He is not bound by a human interpretation of His laws. His ways are not ours. He spoke that adultery and murder are capital offences, then spared King David. My point is that though a man may deny Christ and 'lose' salvation (Tim, I hate that word, too!), it can't be very easy to do, or we would all be guilty of denying Christ because we willfully reject His commandments (sin). Strong's on 'deny' - 720 arneomai ar-neh'-om-ahee perhaps from 1 (as a negative particle) and the middle voice of 4483; to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate:--deny, refuse. This speaks to me of a calculated, purposeful act of will against God, knowing who He is. I honestly doubt that many Christians could accomplish this. But I cannot discount the possibility! Through deception, depression, or oppression, a person of faith COULD turn against Christ. I don't believe it happens often, and I am confident that those committed to a local church, in the care of a good shepherd, and walking in the Holy Spirit are kept from this kind of apostacy. Now I know that those with 'polar' positions on this subject feel obligated to 'deny' my central position, but humor me. (and answer the question) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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44 | Who guards our faith? | 2 Tim 1:12 | charis | 31275 | ||
Friends and saints, Paul, who spoke of the battle between the old nature and his new self, seems to be saying that there is blessed assurance that God would keep, would guard his faith until that day. Is there a disclaimer here about Paul forsaking God? (i.e. as long as he keeps his faith) Is Paul not ashamed because he knew he was so strong in his ministry? Until what day? (Yes, these ARE loaded questions! :-)) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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45 | How was the prodigal resurrected? | Matt 22:37 | charis | 30999 | ||
Dear bygraceyearesaved, Greetings in Jesus' name! If the prodigal son was spiritually dead, then again made spiritually alive, what (or Who) made him alive again? Was it his decision to return? His father's reception? Was it the remorse he felt? Was it the bad food? Or maybe it was the grace of God 're-applied?' My favorite is that the grace of God never departed from him, and continued to work to convict him to return home. Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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46 | Bright eyes, fat bones II? | Prov 15:30 | charis | 30783 | ||
Dear Nolan and forum saints, If you think that a good meal in the US is expensive, you should visit Japan sometime! Just bring your Platinum Visa (or higher!). On a more serious note: Really, what does this verse mean? How does it apply to our life in Christ Jesus? Who had bright eyes in the Bible? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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47 | We perfect our faith? | Matt 22:37 | charis | 30716 | ||
Dear ArtS, Greetings in Jesus' name! Then wouldn't any willful rejection of God's will be unto death? But we can repent any time we want to, and be reinstated? So our lives are in our own hands, we decide our fate, right? If this is so, I expect to see a LOT of people saved through deathbed repentance! Just live any way you want, as long as you have a moment to say, "I'm sorry, God!" immediately before you kick the bucket. Friend, don't you see that if any willful rejection after knowing God equals death, then our lives are outside of His grace, and we become the perfecters of salvation. Then we get into an endless treadmill of determining how much rejection is enough to die, and how much is just 'minor.' Occam's Razor would say that this is much to complicated a system to be attributed to a God that loves us. In addition, we would encroach on His sovereignty to assume that we are responsible to 'keep' our salvation. Peace and love to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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48 | Bright eyes, fat bones? | Prov 15:30 | charis | 30631 | ||
Dear Friends and colleagues, What are bright eyes and fat bones? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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49 | Self or Others? | Matt 7:14 | charis | 30402 | ||
Dear Forum Saints, Is this Scripture intended for the reader (or hearer), in order that they would be more careful in their own walk, or as a means to 'narrow the field' concerning others? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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50 | False prophets glorify God? | 1 Pet 2:12 | charis | 30381 | ||
Dear Steve, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, I am not quite sure what you are saying. (but feel free to vent! we all do! :-)) Are you saying that God uses even the false prophets for His glory? If so, I would respectfully disagree. I see many Christian zealots doing great damage to the name of Christ and the credibility of the church. The fact that some DO find the Lord through these 'ministries' is only God's grace to those with faith, not an attribute of the questionable (or downright wrong) teaching. My point is that though God can use charlatans and buffoons to touch a few, many more are turned away from God, sometimes irreversibly. Some even become campaigners against Christ because of these antics of 'zeal.' So... zeal must be tempered with knowlege (as Hank pointed out below) or our 'un-excellent' behavior can be a detriment to the church. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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51 | Misplaced zeal? | 1 Pet 2:12 | charis | 30233 | ||
Dear Jesusman, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, I agree with you about Christians showing forth a worldly attitude. Indeed, we cannot preach about freedom from evil when we act evil ourselves! But what about this? Those Christians whose 'religious zeal' (as compared to Christian charity, service and humility) is a nuisance, causing the Gentiles to be 'turned away' from Christ because of self-righteousness or judgmentalism. Could this also fall into the same category? In either case, insensitive and self-serving (un-excellent behavior!) Christians can cause more damage than help to the furthering of the Gospel. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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52 | Behavior before the Gentiles? | 1 Pet 2:12 | charis | 30219 | ||
Saints, What does it mean to keep our behavior excellent among the Gentiles? What does this have to do with our charge to spread the Gospel? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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53 | Multi-(G)god Universe? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29808 | ||
Dear Johnny, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, please allow me to ask you a few questions to clarify your beliefs about God. Do you believe there are two Gods (with a capital 'G'), the Father in heaven and Jesus at His right hand, and a Holy Spirit who is not God? Do you believe that there are other gods (with a small 'g') that are equally powerful to God(s)? Are these gods the 'superior beings' in charge of other religions? (such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.) Were these gods created by God(s), by man, or are they synchronous (the same time) with God(s)? Are Gods and gods sharing the faith of the planet in a friendly manner, or are the battling over believers? If they are friends, is this a game? If they are enemies, who will win? I would appreciate your answers to the above questions to show us how your multi-(G)god universe works. Thank you. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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54 | What are your church expectations? | Heb 10:25 | charis | 29755 | ||
Dear Belmaree, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, did it ever occur to you that one of your local group (maybe even YOU!) might be called to shepherd your local gathering? The Bible does not require that a shepherd be a graduate from a Bible college or seminary. The requirements for elder are written in the "Pastoral Letters" to Timothy and Titus. You might say that none of you meet all the standards written there, but I can tell you that formal religious education or certificates of ordination do not guarantee a person perfection before God. Our Lord desires a heart toward Him more than scholarship. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18:20 NASB. If indeed those in your community are seeking a local church, God WILL provide. The problem is what are your 'expectations' of church? A name, an institution, 'professional' guidance and counsel? Or fellowship, commitment, spiritual guidance and the counsel of God? Blessings upon you and your fellows! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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55 | 'Seed' salvation? | John 14:6 | charis | 29743 | ||
Dear Servant7, Greetings in Jesus' name! Thanks for clearing up my confusion. (It was getting late at night on this side of the globe.) Please explain what you mean by 'Abraham's seed.' I understand that 'seed' usually means the blood-descendents, but I am not sure I that this would be applicable in this case, fo the following reasons: From word one, the covenant with Abraham was a covenant of faith. "Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6 NASB. Israel, the blood descendents of Abraham were not faithful to God. "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." Acts 7:51 NASB. The house of Israel served foreign gods and took foreign wives, adulterating the line of Abraham. 'Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel."' Ezra 10:10 NASB, and "It shall come about when they say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' then you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'" Jeremiah 5:19 NASB. While it is true that there are many instances of Israel's repentance recorded in the Bible, there are MORE instances of sin and rebellion! For this very reason God sent His Son, Jesus. I do believe that God, in His perfect mercy, may honor the faith of the faithful descendents of Abraham in accord with His covenant with Abraham, but not the blood 'seed.' I understand that this would be an 'extra-Gospel salvation,' so I am not willing to state unequivocably that it is so. Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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56 | Trinity (again)? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29609 | ||
Dear Johnny, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, this is a bit confusing. I have never heard a 'Trinitarian' say that the Father is the Son is the Holy Spirit. This sounds a lot more like 'Oneness' or 'Modalism' to me. However, to say that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not the same person is a bit beyond traditional 'Trinitarian' theology. Perhaps you mean that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the three Persons of the Godhead, and He is one God? Another common way to state it is that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and there is but one God. Would this be your belief? Blessings to you, too. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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57 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29601 | ||
Dear Emmaus, Greetings in the name of Jesus! I would have to agree that (ideally) we should serve in all we say and do, in the name of Jesus, and as unto the Lord Himself! Yes also to husband/wife, parent/child, master/slave and citizen/community(country) relationships! But what about sheep/shepherd and sheep/sheep relationships in the local church? So far, I dont see much being said about service in this realm. Truly, most of us are rather poor and grumbling servants! What does the Bible say about sharpening those service skills? How do we differentiate between serving the 'institution' and serving the Lord in His church (His people)? Joy and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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58 | 'Practical' service? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29592 | ||
Dear yokefellow, Greetings in Jesus' name! Thank you for a good 'spiritual' answer! Friend, I am not against any of your answers, but desire more depth. I believe that Christian servanthood is one of our 'prime directives,' so would like to broaden the question(s). Please do not take this as a refutation of your post. :-) 1) But wasn't Paul a minister? Of course he had to serve, but what about 'regular' (or irregular? :-)) Christians? Where does the Bible tells us that we ALL must serve? 2) The kingdom of God is a large place, and most of it we have yet to see. I ask in a more temporal sense, a bit more specifically, where do Christians serve in the here and now? 3) Do we serve 'only' God? As God is spirit, our service to Him would be faith and praise and worship. Are there no 'physical' aspects to service? i.e., all we have to do is believe and praise and worship? Yokefellow (great name!) and fellow saints, I don't mean to be 'unspiritual,' but as a minister of the Gospel I desire to know what the Word speaks of more 'practical' service to God. Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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59 | Are all servants? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29517 | ||
Dear Saints, Are all servants? Where do we serve? Who do we serve? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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60 | Trinity? | Acts 2:38 | charis | 29514 | ||
Dear RevRobert, Greetings again, in the name of Jesus! My friend, you will find that some here are a bit sensitive about the issue of Oneness, Modalism, and Jesus-Only doctrine. So far, I do not think you have stated clearly that this is your way of thinking, but if it is, please be frank. The result of many postings on this forum is that the overwhelming majority of saints here believe in the Trinity, or Triune nature of God, in accord with the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. While a majority seem to ascribe to water baptism in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, there are some (like me) that trust in baptism in the name of Jesus. But few here will tolerate a denial of the Trinity. Some might equate water baptism in Jesus' name as synonymous with Oneness Pentecostalism, but I know that it does not have to be so. Just a 'heads up,' FYI. :-) Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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