Results 421 - 440 of 495
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Results from: Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
421 | put 1Jn 5:7 BACK where it belongs! | 1 John 5:7 | Aixen7z4 | 98734 | ||
I should have known that the response would have come quickly, before anyone would have had had a chance to ponder for a while the post to which he was responding. There is no indication that you even read the first passage quoted, even in your favorite version of the Bible. It seems you think that your eternal destiny rests on the fact you have discovered that most perfect version. Is that not worth thinking of, for a moment? What if you had lived in the time of Abraham when there was no written word? What if you were illiterate or less intelligent now and did not know which version was the best? We must be careful of bibliolotry and worship only the God of the Bible. I am happy these days to see someone simply reading the Gospel of John. If they never knew any more than that, they could have eternal life (John 3:16; John 20:31). If they obeyed the one commandment found there (John 13:34) I understand they would have kept the whole law (Romans 13:9). And love, my friend, is all important. Without it, knowledge only puffeth up (1 Corinthians 8:1). And when one is puffed up, one does not think clearly. He starts to think that he is a teacher and that everyone else is here to learn from him. Nor does he go into all the world to teach those who so need to learn. He withdraws into the cocoon with those who see every comma and semicolon where he sees it. In the will of God we have many brethren in the faith. Let us listen to them all. In the will of God we have many Bible translations. Let us use them all. Let us read Matthew 23 in all the versions, if only to make sure it is not addressed to us. But all of the Bible is addressed to us. Let us read it all. If we do, then I think we will not fret if one statement is not made here when it appears elsewhere. Above all, my friend, I wish you peace and assurance of salvation. A man who found a scrap of scripture in the gutter came to trust the Lord and went out to lead others to him. Like the woman at the well, he did not have all of the Bible and did not know what was missing. He thought he was overflowing. And we have so much! Let us not try to fill up our own store; it is not possible. Let us rather give out what we have, the word of faith, to others. |
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422 | BAPTISIM OF THE DEAD | NT general Archive 1 | Aixen7z4 | 98724 | ||
Dear charis: I admire you. I see that you gave this good answer and resisted getting involved in the long discussion that flows below. It helps me to understand the meaning of the little word "grace". I notice also that the original questioner has asked more than one provocative question and then declined to participate further. They might have returned to thank you for your answer, and I will leave space here for them to do that. As it is, we do not even know the person's name because they left no profile, and we certainly do not know the need or motive. May the Lord protect us from ourselves and from our love of discussion on things that do not edify. I myself am not sure what the word "edify" really means, but I do not think it means to be satisfied when a good point has been made. One can only hope that PYLE read your reply and then went on live well and to serve others and the Lord. |
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423 | marriage and masturbation. | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 98110 | ||
My dear sister, Hank is correct. Sex is for you and your husband. You need not be embarrassed to discuss anything with him. On the other hand, you need not discuss what you do with anyone else. If it is a problem for either of you you should see a professional. Now, if you click on as authors name and find out that he is a professional, I suggest that you note his e-mail address and write to him privately. Yes, counseling is available by e-mail and by telephone. You seem to be a happy and well-adjusted couple. You do not need to be confused, or to develop problems that do not now exist. You said you and your husband have both "recently came back to God" and really want to do his will. Just remember that God's will is in his word. Be sure you are not bringing back anything you learned "out there" that is contrary to the word of God. So far you have not mentioned any. |
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424 | Church curses??? | Luke 9:55 | Aixen7z4 | 98101 | ||
Most churches take the proper stance on moral issues. I do believe that the church as a whole is responding correctly to these questions. This is one area in which the Roman Catholics seem to have the dorrect stance. As I understand it, they do not curse the people who practice or promote those things, but they declare that they are wrong, and state that no person who practices those things has good standing in the church. If your pastor prays "that God would judge them and graciously protect all those on whom they prey" he is on the right track. The church should understand, however, that they will not change the behavior of people outside the church. They have enough difficulty helping those who belong in the church. The church is light and salt in the earth and they do affect the world for good. But they do that by being there, and by shining for the world to see. Again, they are not to curse anyone. The church is the pillar and ground of truth, and it holds out God's standards to the world. Hopefully, the world will know right an wrong by simply looking at them. But the church is also to preach the Gospel. In preaching the Gospel they must let all men know that they are sinners. But they need not point out specific sins, it is the sinful nature in all of us that we address. We must tell the world that the Lord requires repentance. But again, they are to repent of sin in toto and not of individual sins. God has promised to judge those who refuse to repent (See Acts 17:30,31). We hardly need to pray for that. |
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425 | And not so low that ...? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97843 | ||
OK. That seems to balance the scales. And it occurs to me now that we will have solved this situation when we have learned to imitate the Savior. He knew who he was, and he was the Son of God. He said, "I am ...", "I am ..." and he said, "I am". And yet he called himself the Son of man. He was Master and Lord, and yet he washed the disciples' feet. He did not lack for confidence. Yet he was meek and lowly in heart. And we should be like that. May the Lord help us. Let his mind be in us that was also in Christ (Philippians 2:5). It may be that high self-esteem can be so effectively modulated by lowliness of mind that it does not get out of hand. Perhaps that's what Paul was saying. |
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426 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97841 | ||
Yes. | ||||||
427 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97840 | ||
Amen. | ||||||
428 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97838 | ||
Was that self-esteem or ambition? I thought you would have called it ambition. But I agree; it is the way the world operates. Happily, we know that we are not to be conformed to their ways. I think he says those who want to be great should change their minds and become servants instead. It is enough for the disciple that he be like his master. And the master, he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. |
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429 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97837 | ||
Hello. I have heard of that book, but I have not read it. I have read reviews of it. See, for example, http://www.behindthebadge.net/articles/a60.html I am glad that you got help from it. From the review above (which includes quotations) it seems to have its strengths, and also some weaknesses. That is the problem with most books, no doubt, and it is one of the reasons I have not written more. I know this does not sound right (some have told me so) but I depend primarily on the Bible for my practice. I was trained in psychology and I believe some of the things I learned are true. But that is only because they are also found in the Bible. I use some of their tools and techniques, but only in so far as they are in line with Scripture. I wish the churches were using the Bible as they ought to; they could help the people a lot. It is really unfortunate that they don't. They tell people what to do but they do not show them how it's done and they do not help them to do it. That statement is too general to be always true and it is not meant as a criticism. It is meant to get their attention. I have written a proposal to encourage them to teach people how to put the word into practice. You can read it at http://hishows.bizland.com/PROPOSAL.htm I could write a book to describe my own methods, but I keep refining them as I learn more from the word of God. I can give only a brief description as appears at http://hishows.bizland.com/therapraxis.html So, I do not recommend any book in therapy except the Bible. Even so, I am careful to point out specific passages with their contexts. I emphasize that the word of God calls for action (See Matthew 7:24;John 13:17). The idea is that God wants us to do certain things. Even a child is known by his doings. I model it, have the client to copy it, and encourage them to practice and practice and practice it. Isn't it interesting that the practice of assigning books to be read by a client is called bibliotherapy. Now we have to look for another word to describe an assignment to read the Bible. We use the term therapraxis to emphasize that the solution to life's situations comes from not only reading but practicing the word of God. I would advise that you take from that book only those things that correspond to the word of God and do them. The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Then you will have good success. |
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430 | Christians ambivalent about death? | Phil 1:23 | Aixen7z4 | 97786 | ||
Comments: Heaven is a wonderful place. The main thing about it is, that tJesus is there. And we want to be with him! He also longs to have us there (John 17:24). It is the ultimate destination where every Christian will be whether through death or the Rapture. Some "Christians will fight tooth and nail to the very last breath to resist death"? Christians usually look forward to being in heaven and they are not afraid of death. They say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" They say, "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ". They believe that it is better to die, because it means they will be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Sometimes they can't quite make up their minds about leaving, though, because they believe they are needed here, to lead others to the Savior, and to answer questions like this. |
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431 | How do I (you, we) come across? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97744 | ||
It would not be easy to reveal how we would help someone with self-esteem problems in a forum such as this. For one thing, we would be exposing ourselves to criticism from people who had one course in psychology fifty years ago and do not understand what we are saying. That would not be profitable. It might just be useful here to say that God has made us, body and soul and spirit. If we care about our bodies, enough to have a blood pressure taken on a regular basis, we might do well to consider having our psyches checked from time to time for self-esteem. But I can understand that you feel fine and do not see the need to visit that kind of doctor. If you ever feel the need for psychological help, may I suggest that you choose your doctor very carefully. I would not expect a worldly psychologist to be recommending that you live a life centered on Christ. After all, he is not doing it himself. But there are some consecrated practitioners in this field who would do just that. You would want to choose someone who has a philosophy of life, and a faith, that is compatible with yours. For a person such as you, Hank, it would not be difficult to adjust the self-esteem if it ever got out of whack. From this distance it seems to be fine. But if you were concerned, before he did anything about it, the psychologist would measure it. I doubt very much that you are as nutty as you say, though I do detect slight indications of a healthy sense of humor. It is my professional opinion that you are fine, and that your heart is strong for the Lord. Stay well. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy body prospereth. |
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432 | How high? How low? How? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97717 | ||
You did a good job there. Your diagnosis and your prescription were right on. You observation is also keen, that "it is not that simple always". | ||||||
433 | How do I (you, we) come across? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97716 | ||
Please be kind to the psychologists. I am one of them, and we are trying to help the people. You are willing to accept the possibility that there are Christians with low self-esteem? Please consider that we are telling the truth when we say that many people come to us with actual self-loathing. True, we may sometimes label them, but here I am quoting them. And we are trying to help them. You believe that there are "self-centered snobs who are overly endowed with egotism"? These people are like that in spite of the fact "the message of the Bible is to lead a life centered not on self but on Christ". We would like to help them as well. You are doubtless correct in noting that Jesus "gave few discourses ... designed to enhance self-esteem". The implication is that people have a natural capacity for, and inclination to, self-love. Again, that may be true. We think that neglect and abuse, emotional and physical, may be mitigating against that natural tendency and leaving people feeling badly about themselves. We try to help them to overcome these effects. But we are concerned about the "self-centered snobs" as well. Perhaps it is to them that Paul is saying, "Don't think too highly of yourself", but they're not listening. We would like to help them. By the way, there are some of us who practice as Christian psychologists because we believe that we need to help each other to obey the Lord's commands. Not simply to remind them, but to help them. If they say they are thinking too lowly, then we can give them a hand up. If they admit that they think too highly then we can help them to think soberly. But if a person says "I'm perfect", then we cannot help them. When you say there are people with low sel-esteem and people who are snobs, you must be either despising them or wishing they would get help. Please do not discourage us from trying to help. When you say that the most worldly psychologist would endorse the idea of leading a life centered on Christ, I am mystified. Do you really believe that? Perhaps we can think of the question "How high is your self-esteem?" as being analogous to one asking "How high is your blood pressure?". There is an optimum level or range, and in both cases we can be too high or too low. It might be good to check it. |
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434 | Get behind me, who? | Matt 16:23 | Aixen7z4 | 97590 | ||
This seems to have taken us back to the case of Jesus and Peter. A believer may be confident that he is being led by the Lord and moving in his will. He is prayed up, tuned in, with antenna adjusted when another believer intervenes to take him aside and turn him aside. This reminds me of something in Pilgrim's Progress, but we need not choose it over scripture. I do not know whether Peter had been sent by Satan or to what extent he was there identified with Satan, but our Lord's words to him were strong. I do not know whether his salvation was in question. But something caused Jesus to look at him and say, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" I trust that after this discussion the Spirit of the Lord would have taught us to at least be careful. I agree that a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be demon-possessed. The extent to which we can be influenced by him or used by him, I would prefer not to know by experience. It says, "The Spirit that lives in us wants us to be his own completely." But God shows us even more kindness. So place yourselves under God's authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come close to God, and he will come close to you. |
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435 | Get behind me, who? | Matt 16:23 | Aixen7z4 | 97585 | ||
O, Brother Makarios, You are the one with the maturity and knowledge of the Scriptures. You always bring a blessing with your posts. I did consider that a female who came into my office with a certain walk and talk and smile had been sent by Satan. I understand that he does those things, and recalling the story of Potiphar's wife with Joseph, I partly believe it. I have mentioned a brother who rebuked me for picking up children to take to church. I was stunned by that and also by other actions from him. The sum of it caused an entire little church to crumble. When I suggested later that Satan had been using him, he agreed. He confessed that he had yielded to the evil one and repented with bitter tears. The fact is, I had been warned that the brother had a history of causing problems in the churches. He seemed to have a weakness that the evil one exploited. Yes, I believe he had been sent to us by Satan. I believe that false apostles and false prophets are sent to us by Satan. I believe Scripture tells us (especially John in 1 John) how to recognize them. When someone lies to me or to the public, I think of John 8:44 and I say it was Satan who had sent him. What do you think? Concerning Peter's statement, do you not recall the story of Ananias and Sapphira? Act 5: A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart ... ... to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" I hope not to lose my reputation of being level-headed, but I believe that Satan is very active in this world. Whenever there is conflict involving Christians, I look for him. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. |
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436 | Get behind me, who? | Matt 16:23 | Aixen7z4 | 97577 | ||
Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful references and insights. Surely, one must be thoroughly convinced, and that by the word of God itself, that one is doing the will of God, before considering that someone who comes to rebuke them might be of the devil. We should consider that one who opposes us may not have been sent by Satan. Also, the person who agrees with us may not have been sent by God. There is scriptural example suggesting it can be either way, both and neither. I am impressed that no one but Jesus used the words: “Get thee behind me, Satan!” and after considering the matter this long I think we might be wise to leave that prerogative to him. But Peter did ask, “Why has Satan filled your heart …?” and there might be occasions when we might copy that. That might be within the scope of the command to be gentle with those who disagree with us. What if they had been sent by Satan? By being meek and gentle and patient, we might be able to instruct those that oppose us (not to say themselves) if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who may have been taken captive by him at his will. It might also give us a chance to see if we are wrong. |
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437 | Get behind me, who? | Matt 16:23 | Aixen7z4 | 97465 | ||
So true, Makarios. Bad advice with good intentions. And that is just the point. They are acting on behalf of Satan without realizing it. And Satan uses many devices. They may even present themselves as rebuking us when we are convinced by scripture and all that we are doing the Lord's will. Please do not miss my point. I was once rebuked for picking up children for church. A brother informed me that I was being too proactive. I should let the Holy Spirit lead those children, and if he was doing that they would walk to the church. I accept that yours may be a better question, but the original one still remains in my mind. Perhaps we can attempt to answer both. How do you respond to someone when you think that Satan is using him? Do you say, "Get behind me, Satan!"? |
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438 | How do you say "repent" gently? | Acts 3:26 | Aixen7z4 | 97087 | ||
Surely you are correct, J.R., that "Repentance is essential" (Luke 13:3), and that it is "not a work which we manufacture" (John 1:13). One must also agree with Debbie that it takes "the Holy Spirit working in someone" (John 16:8). And now this seems to be a good common meeting ground where a Calvinist and an Armenian can witness to someone together. They can both tell them that God is commanding them to repent (Acts 17:30) and that it is he who is giving them the desire (Phil 2:13) and the privilege (Acts 11:18) and the ability to repent (Lam 5:21). It does seem that we should be able to present this is a pleasant, attractive, appealing way (as in Isaiah 1:18). They may not always accept the opportunity to do it (as in Isaiah 30:15) but they would not be able to blame us for being too harsh. |
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439 | How do we "contend for the faith"? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 96938 | ||
Please know that this writer did look for discussions of this verse before posting. He is aware of threads entitled "About the Forum" and "why I need to contend for faith?" The question here is how do we do it, and the suggestion is that we have to find another way, other than arguing. Speaking of traditions: I trust we can distinguish between the traditions we received from the world (Col 2:8;1Pe 1:18) and those we received from the apostles (2Th 3:6;2 Peter 3;2). These latter would actually constitute "the faith" that Jude is asking us to defend. |
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440 | What did the disciples understand? | Mark 10:30 | Aixen7z4 | 96737 | ||
Talk about surprises! I agree with you. Like you, I would hate to think that I had given every cent I have to the poor and they didn’t understand the message of Christ. But CDBJ, we are not talking about doing that. We are talking about the fact Jesus promised to give believers these things. You may have decided to not preach that part of Jesus' message to people who do not know him. (In context, Jesus was talking to those who had already believed). But when they do come to know him they may read that and they may ask us what it means. That is what happened. What do we tell them? I hope we will tell them, "Mi casa es su casa. My house is your house". As we have opportunity, we should do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith. With them, we should practice hospitality and other forms of sharing. So being affectionately desirous of them, let us be willing to impart unto them, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because they are dear unto us. We do not need bleeding hearts, but we do need soft hearts. So be kind one to another, tenderhearted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. We will be helping to fulfil his promises as well. If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. |
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