Results 41 - 60 of 323
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: inmyheart Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | Reasonableness of Christianity | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 68050 | ||
prayon, Don't you have any Bible questions? Just kidding, until next time, Peace. http://www.piney.com/Lockereasonableness.html |
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42 | Divorce is not allowed? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 68052 | ||
Marriage is a topic deserving of extensive study. Careful exegesis of relevant biblical passages such as Genesis 2:23-24, Deuteronomy 24:1-5, Malachi 2:13-16, Matthew 5:31-32, Romans 7:1-3, 1 Corinthians 7:1-40, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Timothy 3:2, Hebrews 13:4, and several others is required to form a theologically informed set of guidelines for marriage, divorce, and remarriage. But for now, the reader will have to be satisfied with the following: Marriage consists of the union of a man and a woman, whose covenant relationship is witnessed and officiated by God himself. The Christian is only permitted to marry another Christian. If one is converted after marriage, one is not to divorce the spouse. But if the non-Christian spouse desires to sever the relationship, the Christian cannot force him or her to remain. Once within a marriage relationship, one must remain faithful, and not to divorce another, except when the other is found to be unfaithful. Even then, divorce is not necessary, but only permitted. One who divorces the spouse illegitimately is a covenant-breaker, and incurs God's judgment. Remarriage is generally allowed, and is encouraged or discouraged under different conditions. But again, it must only occur between two Christians. |
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43 | word for wine in the original text? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 68674 | ||
You responded to retxar, however here is the info you asked for. Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding (John 2:1-11.) During this wedding, the grape juice ran out, so Jesus changed about 600 litres (130 gallons) of water into fresh grape juice. In the original Greek, these verses use the word oinos, meaning either alcohol or fresh grape juice. But, "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in...drunkenness... But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (Romans 13:13-14) Surely Jesus did not make any provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts. Surely what He made was grape juice. God bless |
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44 | Jesus | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 69544 | ||
No, it not wrong to assume that Jesus is God. Isaiah 7:14—"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Immanuel literally means "God with us"). Isaiah 9:6—"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end...." Matthew 1:23—"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." John 1:1-3, 14—"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." This is but a few of many references concerning your question. The most important question facing individuals, families and nations is not "How do we stop the AIDS epidemic?" "How do we arrest global warming?" "How do we stimulate economic growth?" or even "How do we eliminate poverty?" The most important question is: "What do you think of Jesus Christ?" (cf. Mt. 22:42). Without a proper understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, and without belief and trust in and submission to Jesus Christ, individuals, families and nations are doomed to failure in history and eternal judgment in the hereafter. It is the purpose of this post to prove from the Scripture that Jesus Christ is God. For if the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is very God of very God, then we must without question submit to Christ’s authority. We must place our trust in Christ alone for our salvation, and we must offer worship and prayer to Him, for He alone is worthy to receive "honor and glory and blessing" (Rev. 5:12). God bless |
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45 | difference of paradox and contradiction | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 69820 | ||
ford, There is a difference between paradox and contradiction. A contradiction is when at least two ideas, by their very definition, cannot coexist. For example, it is impossible for it to naturally be daytime and nighttime simultaneously in one location. Paradox, on the other hand, is when two ideas do coexist, when in fact one would have thought that they should not and could not. The basis of a paradox, therefore, is usually a lack of information that, more than likely, is the result of a faulty assumption. For example, one of the most profound paradoxes today is the one concerning the age of the world. Modern science through carbon testing and other methods have put the age of the world in the billions of years. Torah, on the other hand (according to Nachmanides), teaches that the world is under 6,000 years old. Assuming that the scientific data is accurate, and assuming that the world has always aged according to the same pattern, and assuming that time has always flowed according to the same measure, there is a paradox. How can the world be both billions of years old, and yet under 6,000 years old? Until recently the paradox was viewed as a contradiction. How then does one resolve a contradiction? They merely dismiss what seems to be the least credible side of the contradiction (for some that was Torah, and for others it was science), and accept only one viewpoint. Now when you figure this out, let me know :) God bless |
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46 | How do you "guard your anointing"? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70292 | ||
You have the anointing of God flowing through you when God's heart touches another person's heart through your heart. The anointing of God is the Holy Spirit. He flows as a river of love, from the throne of grace, through the hearts of believers, bringing life to all that receive His touch. God anoints people that love Him more than they love their own lives, and that love others as themselves. As we open our hearts to love others God's anointing flows through us. When we close our hearts to others and grieve the Holy Spirit the flow stops. (1 John 3:17 NKJV) But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is given through people to demonstrate God's love and power. Christ means the "Anointed One". Because Christ is in us the same anointing that He had on earth we also have. (Luke 4:18-19 NKJV) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (19) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 1. The anointing is given to preach the gospel to the poor 2. The anointing is given to heal and restore people 3. The anointing is given to proclaim freedom to the captives 4. The anointing is given to open blind eyes 5. The anointing is given to set people free 6. The anointing flows in God's timing and proclaims God's timing God bless |
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47 | how to reconcile? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70404 | ||
JA03, Greetings. Will you re-phrase your question, or what do you mean by "rules"? God bless |
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48 | ILUMINA | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70407 | ||
Johnny, Here are a couple of sites that either sell or make their comment on this product. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006IJRJ/102-8372139-5020133 The latest Bible on CD has hit the market with a resounding "WOW." To give you an idea of how much multimedia is in this great new program --it comes on THREE CDs, and also comes with ONE DVD in the package (that has all 3 CD's info on one DVD) for PCs with dvd-capable CD-ROM drives. You can read my full review at http://www.sundaysoftware.com/ilumina and see many screenshots. iLumina "replaces" the now out of print Life Application Bible CD in our catalog. Please note, however, that our recommendation is that this is a Bible for youth, and the price is higher than the L.A.B. --45.00 on our order form (though it retails for 49.99) and a quantity discount of 40.00 each for five or more. I am -not- recommending that people replace their Life App. Bible CDs with iLumina, unless you read the review and decide it is for you. God bless |
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49 | standards | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70489 | ||
JA03, Exodus 20: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before [1] me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand (generations) of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Are these the standards that you are speaking of? The Bible clearly directs us to go to those we feel may have something against us (Matthew 5:23). He also tells us in Hebrews 12:14 to, "Pursue peace with all people..." Possibly those with whom you are concerned did not realize you were feeling persecuted, we are instructed to "bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" (Romans 12:14). It is a miracle of God when our wounded hearts are healed so that we can truly walk in forgiveness and wholeness before those who have hurt us. God is our defender (Job 22:25; Psalm 7:10; 59:9, 16, 17; 62:2, 6; 94:22). He will bring the truth to light. The Bible is very clear that if we have "ought" against someone (Matthew 6:14, 15, Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37) or if you know your brother has "ought" against you (Matthew 5:23, 24), you are instructed to go to him. Galatians 6:10 says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." These may sound like difficult words, but they are definitely instructions the Lord has given each of us to live by. God bless, I pray that this answeres your question! |
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50 | is masterbation a sin? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70497 | ||
nancy2000, This topic has been debated more than once, however the below site will give you a lot of information on this topic and prayerfully you will draw your own conclusion. http://brothersforchrist.com/masterbation.html cut and paste this to your address bar. May God bless your entire day! |
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51 | AM I MARRIED IN GODS EYES ? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70685 | ||
JONZSAVED, Here is a article on this subject from my notes on marriage. It answeres your question in detail. First of all, the divine standard for marriage is lifelong commitment to one's spouse, and nothing else. Even though divorce was permitted in some cases under the Old Testament economy, Christ made it plain that this was not God's ideal. When He was asked this very question, "He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:4-6). This seems very comprehensive and conclusive, yet He immediately followed up this statement with the following apparent exception: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:9; see also Matthew 5:31, 32). It does seem from this statement that the discovery of extramarital unchastity on the part of one' spouse is here given as a possible grounds for divorce. God does place a high value on faithfulness, on the part of both bride and bridegroom, as a basis for a happy and lasting marriage. Fornication is condemned as a sin in both Old and New Testaments. In this day of widespread sexual license, however, this provision might well become a rather common ground for divorce, even among Christians. It does, indeed, dilute the principle of "one flesh" used by God to describe a true marriage. "What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith He, shall be one flesh . . . Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body: but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (I Corinthians 6:16, 18). This passage, incidentally, suggests that a woman who submits to extramarital sex becomes, in God's sight, a harlot, whether she yields her body for money or some other reason that she sees as profitable to herself. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that Jesus, evidently on a different occasion, did not give fornication as an excuse for divorce. "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery" (Luke 16:18). If there is any doubt, this also applies to wives. "And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery" (Mark 10:12). Since the lord would not contradict Himself, we should conclude that, while there may be some situations in which extramarital sex would create such problems in a marriage that divorce would be better than continuing in an unhealthy or even dangerous relationship, in general it would be better to forgive earlier indiscretions (if accompanied by repentance and present faithfulness) rather than to break up what might otherwise still be a good marriage. In both cases, however, Christ warned that remarriage after divorce amounts to adultery, a sin which is explicitly forbidden by God's seventh Commandment. Both divorce and remarriage, therefore, are extremely serious steps, and both violate the divine principle of permanent union and faithfulness in marriage. (con't.) |
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52 | AM I MARRIED IN GODS EYES ? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70686 | ||
(con't) But this is not the whole story. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy . . . For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:8, 14). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (I John 1:9). This promise is specifically for Christians, and includes even the sin of adultery, if there is genuine repentance. The Lord made this very clear in His dealing with the woman who "was taken in adultery, in the very act" (John 8:4). He reminded her accusers that they also were sinners and had no warrant to punish her. Then He told the woman: "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). He in no way condoned her sin, but He did forgive her sin, when she gave evidence of godly sorrow and determination not to sin again in this way. Under such conditions, His followers would do well to follow His example. At least in this particular context, He put no further conditions on her freedom, either to return to her husband if he would have her, or to marry another if she were already divorced. There is one other important Biblical factor to consider in divorce-and-remarriage situations. A Christian should never marry a non-Christian, as this almost inevitably leads to serious friction in the home later on unless the unsaved partner can, by God's grace, be won to Christ. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (II Corinthians 6:14). Nevertheless, many Christians insist on doing this very thing. And then what? Also, a person may become a believer after marriage, with the partner still unsaved. In either case, there is an unequal yoke, and the Christian husband or wife may come to desire release from this yoke. The Apostle Paul commands in this case: "...If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him." (I Corinthians 7:12, 13). The next verse indicates this is especially important for the sake of the children, who are often the ones hurt most by a divorce. But suppose the unsaved spouse is the one who insists on a divorce. "If the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace" (I Corinthians 7:15). This obviously means that the Christian husband or wife is then at liberty to remarry. In fact, if there are children involved, and if a caring Christian spouse can be found, it would be good to remarry, for children need the love and guidance of both a father and mother, provided, of course, that the stepmother or stepfather is "in the Lord" (I Corinthians 7:39) and desires to assume such a responsibility. By extension, these principles could be applied to other situations that the Scriptures do not cover explicitly. As noted above, God is able and willing to forgive all sins, including even the sin of getting a divorce for trivial reasons. He has called us to peace, not legal bondage, and He can make a good marriage and a happy home no matter what the previous history of the people involved may have been, provided that true repentance, proper restitution, and genuine saving faith and sincere desire to serve the Lord now exist in their lives. God bless |
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53 | What was the purpose of dinosaurs? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 70690 | ||
DukesterM, Here are a couple of good web site to get the answers you are looking for. http://www.christiananswers.net/dinosaurs/j-where3.html http://www.creationevidence.org/ God bless |
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54 | Languages with no Scripture? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 71038 | ||
Justme, Greetings and Peace from The Father and His Son Jesus. I happen to have this in my notes. These statistics are from 2001. Let’s look at how many languages there are today out of the 6 billion plus people in the world. We read, "There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. However, about 2,000 of those languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers." ---- infoplease.com The following numbers are also impressive, but how many of these translations have the proper Names of the Father and the Son in them? "At the start of the nineteenth century, Scriptures were available in just 68 languages. Today, Scriptures are available in no less than 2,233 languages, with the complete Bible having been translated into at least 371 languages, and the New Testament into some 960. In addition, parts of the Bible (Portions) have been made available in more than 900 languages."---- biblesociety.org God bless you into the New Year! "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we [first] believed." Romans 13:11 |
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55 | Is suicide a sin, will you go to hell? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 71197 | ||
Angelface, Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides. But what does the Bible say about taking your own life? 1. God has a great plan for your life. God has created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). He created us for a purpose. God has a specific plan in mind for everyone. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) 2. God's plan is for life, not death. The Bible teaches that both physical and spiritual death are the result of our sin and disobedience to God, but eternal life is a gift to those who receive it. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) 3. Jesus taught that death and destruction are the work of "the thief" (Satan). He said, "The thief comes only to steal and destroy;" (John 10:10). John 8:44 says that Satan is a "murderer" and the "father of lies". The feelings of despair that lead to suicide are caused by some of his lies. 4. Jesus wants us to have life. He said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) 5. Life belongs to God. It is never our place to take our own life or someone else's life. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) IF SUICIDE ISN'T THE ANSWER, WHAT IS? 1. The solution to despair and hopelessness is not suicide, but faith in God. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalms 33:20-22) 2. Christ promises that He will give us rest from our problems. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) 3. Tell someone. Tell your parents, your brother or sister, your teacher or school counselor, your pastor or youth minister that you are thinking about suicide. If a friend tells you that he or she is serious about suicide, then you need to tell someone who is responsible and can help. 4. Accept Christ's free gift of eternal life and salvation, if you haven't already. Romans 10:13 says: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." John 1:12 says: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." 5. When we accept Christ, God gives us a brand-new life and sees us as completely holy and righteous. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) 6. Because of God's salvation through the death of Jesus on the cross, we can have assurance of eternal life with God. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24) |
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56 | John9:1-12 and Job1-2 | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 71356 | ||
We want life to be simple, and we want to have easy answers that give meaning to life. We want life to be black and white where the good guys are escaping suffering, and the bad guys are getting their due reward of judgment. If life was only like the movies, but it is not, and often the real life story has the bad guys getting by with murder, and the good guys being the ones getting murdered. So it was with Able, John the Baptist, Stephen, and on and on. Simple answers are not always false, but they are so often foolish and cruel when applied to specific situations. Do people go blind because they mix up a pile of gun powder and then light it? Of course they do. Do they go blind because they stare at the Sun too long? Yes they do. People go blind for all kinds of foolish things they do. They cause their blindness by the choices they make. But to take what we know to be true and make it the truth, and apply it to every blind person, is to be cruel. If we see a blind child and say, I wonder what stupid thing this kid did to become blind, then we are the ones being foolish. There are hundreds of reasons for why people are blind. Those who assume that there is only one reason, and that is that they did something evil or stupid, are a part of the problem in the suffering of the world. The fact is, the godly often suffer even more than the ungodly. The poet put it; The rain falls on the just and unjust fella, And sometimes more on the just, for the unjust Steals the just's umbrella. There is no promise that life will be fair, but only that God will. Jesus says in Luke 21:16-17, "You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me." That is not much of a promise of a fair life. But then in the next verse Jesus says, "But not a hair of your head will parish." This is His way of saying that its an unfair world, and unjust suffering is inevitable, but in God's ultimate plan no child of His will lose one minute thing because of the power of evil. Jesus says in John 16:2, "A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God." Jesus did not hold back any punches. He told His disciples there were no guarantees that they would escape anything by following Him. He ends the chapter by saying in verse 33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus was so realistic about life, and that is why He promised trouble. But He was also reassuring, for He promised final victory and present peace in Him. God Bless |
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57 | Will The USA go to war? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 71359 | ||
justme, You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:6-8 Is there any Biblical answer? http://prophecyupdate.injesus.com God bless |
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58 | What is Brokeness before God? | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 71469 | ||
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. How Broken: It is certainly the work of the Spirit of the Living God. Submit yourself to him. SEEK HIM HARD. Seek the humbleness and brokeness which is in the man to whom the Lord looks. Conform to the image of Jesus Christ his son. God will Humble you - he will be glorified in his OWN people. Seek him, humble yourself before him, be that man to whom the Lord will look and can use. The man who is NOT PROUD, not even secretly proud. The man who knowing the worm that he is ascribes all glory to God who saved him and bought him. Glorify God therefore in your body and in your spirit which are God's. Psalms 138:6 ¶ Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 1 Peter 5:5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Proverbs 18:12 ¶ Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. Proverbs 29:23 ¶ A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. THE CHASTENING HAND OF GOD WILL HUMBLE HIS CHILDREN and bring them to brokeness of heart. Psalms 94:12 ¶ Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: Proverbs 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Jeremiah 10:24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. God bless |
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59 | Reading your Bible | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 72833 | ||
singnangel, The Bible is God’s written Word to us. How important for us to revere its pages of truth, as it tells us about the God we worship. A deep conviction of the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures is of paramount importance for the one who reads its pages. Bible reading keeps its glow when we revere it as God’s book. Desire: It is one thing to know that we need to read the Bible. It is another thing to desire to read it. Such a desire is not forced, but should come naturally to the one who knows the Author personally and loves His fellowship. This is what Peter had in mind when he wrote, "long for the pure milk of the word...if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord" (1 Peter 2:2-3). Receptivity: This is the attitude of submission and moldability. We approach the Bible not to do something to it, but to let it do something to us. With an open heart and mind, we are prepared to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45). Humility: Humility is a virtue that God values in every aspect of our lives, because He wants us always to acknowledge who we really are and who He truly is. When you feel discouraged over difficult passages of Scripture, recall that even Peter realized there were parts of Paul’s letters that were hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16). God bless |
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60 | Comments on divorce and remarriage | Bible general Archive 1 | inmyheart | 72835 | ||
In earlier generations, this question was very seldom raised, simply because divorce was almost never encountered among Christians and was unusual even in the general population. Today, however, it has become a very real problem in evangelical Christian circles. First of all, the divine standard for marriage is lifelong commitment to one's spouse, and nothing else. Even though divorce was permitted in some cases under the Old Testament economy, Christ made it plain that this was not God's ideal. When He was asked this very question, "He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:4-6). This seems very comprehensive and conclusive, yet He immediately followed up this statement with the following apparent exception: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:9; see also Matthew 5:31, 32). It does seem from this statement that the discovery of extramarital unchastity on the part of one' spouse is here given as a possible grounds for divorce. God does place a high value on faithfulness, on the part of both bride and bridegroom, as a basis for a happy and lasting marriage. Fornication is condemned as a sin in both Old and New Testaments. In this day of widespread sexual license, however, this provision might well become a rather common ground for divorce, even among Christians. It does, indeed, dilute the principle of "one flesh" used by God to describe a true marriage. "What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith He, shall be one flesh . . . Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body: but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (I Corinthians 6:16, 18). This passage, incidentally, suggests that a woman who submits to extramarital sex becomes, in God's sight, a harlot, whether she yields her body for money or some other reason that she sees as profitable to herself. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that Jesus, evidently on a different occasion, did not give fornication as an excuse for divorce. "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery" (Luke 16:18). If there is any doubt, this also applies to wives. "And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery" (Mark 10:12). Since the lord would not contradict Himself, we should conclude that, while there may be some situations in which extramarital sex would create such problems in a marriage that divorce would be better than continuing in an unhealthy or even dangerous relationship, in general it would be better to forgive earlier indiscretions (if accompanied by repentance and present faithfulness) rather than to break up what might otherwise still be a good marriage. In both cases, however, Christ warned that remarriage after divorce amounts to adultery, a sin which is explicitly forbidden by God's seventh Commandment. Both divorce and remarriage, therefore, are extremely serious steps, and both violate the divine principle of permanent union and faithfulness in marriage. But this is not the whole story. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy . . . For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:8, 14). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (I John 1:9). This promise is specifically for Christians, and includes even the sin of adultery, if there is genuine repentance. The Lord made this very clear in His dealing with the woman who "was taken in adultery, in the very act" (John 8:4). He reminded her accusers that they also were sinners and had no warrant to punish her. Then He told the woman: "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). (con't) |
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