Results 421 - 440 of 465
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
421 | Where does Jesus say He is God? | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 46000 | ||
Sometimes actions speak louder than words. To me, the following historical facts (or actions by God) clarify and confirm all the verses in which He describes Himself, which you suggest are lacking absolute certainty: All the "types" of Christ in the OT that foreshadow His Incarnation. His miraculous birth. His sinless life. His sacrificial, undeserved death. His resurrection. His ascension. His glorification. The Holy Spirit, as per Jesus' promise. and finally, I expect His return in glory will be the loudest, clearest statement He will ever make. You said "Jesus seems to let listeners/readers THINK what they want". I agree, that's why He asks "Who do YOU say I am?" -- Matthew 16:15 |
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422 | more about tongues...? | 1 Corinthians | Parable | 45997 | ||
I don't have this gift, but I know many in my church who speak in tongues as a prayer language. (I have yet to see anyone speak in tongues to the congregation and have another interpret.) I find it beautiful and comforting to hear during group prayer. When I hear it from those around me at my church, I believe it reflects their relationship with the Spirit because I know more about them than just that they speak in tongues. Also, I am quite comfortable not speaking in tongues and have no desire for this gift. Why? Because we are in Christ and He is in us, the Holy Spirit is already upon us, evidence or no. There are many other ways besides tongues we can know of His indwelling and outpouring. Regarding tongues itself, studies by linguists confirm that the sounds spoken conform to the patterns of true language, and in blind-trials they can readily identify efforts to fake it; the structure and rythms just aren't the same. Speaking in tongues is real, but without the love of Christ, means nothing. I sense that you may be dealing with something larger than tongues. If I may speculate, be cautious of those who would try to convince you of anything by virtue of their speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit needs no introduction! |
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423 | please clarify | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 45964 | ||
True enough, so long as we rightly divide the Word, i.e. understand the meaning of the term LUST, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, and if masturbation, which is never expressly mentioned in the Bible, "is sin because it is an expression of lust", as you suggest. My inspiration here is from 1Thess5:21, where we are instructed to test everything and hold onto the good. Thus, I have two questions: 1. how does the Bible define or otherwise explain the meaning of LUST itself? and 2. what is the scriptural basis for the idea that masturbation is "an expression" of this sin? I think we agree that where the Bible speaks, we stand firm, but where the Bible is silent, we have liberty to live according the principles revealed in God's Word. To me, the fundamental principles include grace, love, forgiveness, redemption, sanctification, mercy, compassion, truth, righteousness, justice and peace. Please don't misunderstand my intent, which is not to encourage or defend masturbation, but rather to understand clearly what the Bible does and does not say. Finally, to know more about my perspective on this topic, see my answer given on 4/3/02. Sincerely, Parable |
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424 | Help. Someone's testamony has me upset | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 45518 | ||
Here's a fable as told by Watchman Nee, a noted Chinese evangelist who was falsely imprisoned for 20 years in China until his death, in his book "The Normal Christian Life". Fact, Faith and Experience, were walking along the top of a block wall with Fact leading the way. Fact walked steadfastly forward. So long as Faith remained focussed on Fact, Faith did not falter. But as soon as Faith turned around to look at Experience, Faith lost balance and stumbled and Experience soon followed. The facts of God, as revealed in His Word, most expecially His incarnation in Christ Jesus, will not fail you. The facts of God, as revealed to you by the Holy Spirit, will not fail you. 1John 4:12 "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." On the other hand, feelings or experiences are fickle, changing like the the colors on a chameleon to match its surroundings. Remember, the fact is, you are in Christ; keep this foremost in your heart and your colors will reflect Him. We should seek to understand ourselves from God's perspective, and we should not seek to understand God from ours. Pray that He will keep you through these hard times and that He will use them to help you grow ever more abundantly in Him. He is REAL! |
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425 | But what if his nightmares torment him? | Gal 5:16 | Parable | 45472 | ||
He should not try to CONTROL those experiences. Rather, he should appeal to God to bring him through them. Romans 5:3 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance". Your friend should rejoice in the Lord that He has blessed him with these experiences; they remind him of his deliverance out of darkness. If your friend were comfortable with these dreams and memories, it would show he was still in darkness. That he is troubled by thoughts of being in darkness shows that he is no longer a slave to those things. This reminds me of a similar situation. When recovering drug addicts have "using" dreams, it reaffirms their on-going recovery, but with the stern reminder that they have to work out their recovery each day. Your friend should view these experiences as direct evidence of God working in his life, reminding him of the reality and dire consequences of sin. This is called being "convicted" and is part of how God brings us to Himself. |
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426 | Can anyone explain this to me | Revelation | Parable | 45152 | ||
I'd just like to review the scriptures and scholarhip on the beast before attempting an answer; based on what I have studied in the past, I do have an opinion, but before I give it, I want to be careful to support my view with credible sources. Your concerns about technology taking the place of God in our lives is valid; science and technology can be just like numerology, witchcraft, sorcery and voodoo in that they can become religion. On the other hand, I note that we are using computers and the internet for Christian fellowship and teaching, so perhaps its more important for us to consider how we use these tools rather than simply reacting to their existence. To learn more about me, just click on my user name "parable", next to any of my messages. If a user has completed a bio sketch, anyone can read it by clicking on their user name. According to scripture, no one can know the timje of Jesus return, so I can't say if we are in the end times or not. Matthew 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." We should not waste our time trying to predict what only the Father knows. I accept that you are sharing in good faith, so don't worry about offending me. You said your point about computers/internet was not based on numerology. So what was it based on? If scripture, please list verses. Praise God! |
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427 | Can anyone explain this to me | Revelation | Parable | 45128 | ||
Method777, You ask good questions. I'll try to respond with my best effort. My response follows your comment. You said: "So can you find a way to make Jesus Christ add up to 666?" Sure! There are many ways to do this and none of them mean anything. For example, assign each vowel a value of 6 and each consonant a value of 81. So, "JESUS" is "81,6,81,6,81" and "CHRIST" is "81,81,81,6,81,81" These add up to 666. I note that in this scheme, there are three 6's, which make 666 when placed next to each other. Also, there are eight 81's. If you add 8 and 1, you get 9, which is an upsidedown 6. Since there are 8 of these, we have 666 666 and 66. The last 666 is missing a 6; this will be completed when Jesus returns. So, in the name "Jesus Christ", according to my code, the letters add up to 666 and there are an additional three sets of hidden 666's, one for each member of the Trinity, the last of which will be completed when Jesus returns! Is there any biblical support for my method? No. Likewise, there is no biblical support for using consecutive multiples of 6 with our alphabet with the English word "computer". Any conclusions we draw are therefore our own and not biblical. You said: "I am confused cause this is what I have been taught." The Bible teaches Truth. It doesn't say anyting about mainframe computers or barcodes. Any interpretations of Revelation that people make are subject to human error. The message of Revelation is that God is totally in charge and as believers we don't need to worry about our fate, no matter how bad things may become as we approach the end of this world. You said: "...I dont know where you came up with sorcery, witchcraft,voodoo etc. I'm not talking about witchcraft and all that nonsense." Yes, they are nonsense. I mentioned them because they are dangerous in that they distract people from God and have about as much meaning as assigning numbers to letters and calculating the numerical values of words. You said: "Please explain to me what the Beast is and what the mark of the beast is." I'll try, but not now. I'd like to research the question before I attempt an answer. In closing, I have a question for you: Does your user name "method777" have any meaning for you? Why "method" and why "777"? Grace and Peace to You! |
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428 | Parable, who in Matt 13:3-23 is saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 44965 | ||
I spoke with my pastor about this parable yesterday. While he thought my application of this parable to the question of losing our salvation was interesting, he did not confirm nor deny what I said. Rather, he reminded me that the point of this parable is for us as we spread the gospel, and not so much about those who hear it. That is, Jesus is saying there are different responses to the gospel, so we should sow the gospel everywhere, not only in those places where we think the soil is good. Only God knows what kind of soil is present in the hearts of those we preach to. Also, he cautioned against deriving theology from parables. Rather, he encourages us to interpret parables with understanding from the "theological" discussions in the Bible, such as Romans, rather than interpreting those discussions in terms of the parables. He explained, parables point to truth for those who can understand, but at some point they break down, usually when we try to assign meaning to every little thing. For example, in Easop's fable of the fox and the grapes, we could surmise that foxes can reason and foxes like to eat grapes. Clearly, this is not the point Easop was making about our attitudes when we don't get what we want, i.e. "those grapes were sour anyway". So, to summarize, this parable is best understood from the perspective of the sower, not the soil, and any inferences we make beyond this simple truth for the sower are perhaps going beyond what Jesus intended. Yet, I submit that since this parable is from Jesus, the truth of it cannot be denied. There is a real difference in outcome for each type of soil, but this difference is not for us to determine or be concerned with. Whether this difference relates to a loss of salvation is not clear and should not influence our work of spreading the gospel. Regarding Matthew 7:14 "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it", this says only that not many accept the gospel and does not say anything about what happens to those who do find the narrow gate but then lose it, or even if they can lose it. I apologize if I have misrepresented Jesus intent with his parable and description of the narrow gate. It is clear to me that His work on the cross and offer of salvation are meaningful precisely because the alternative is real. And, it seems hard to imagine anyone accepting His free gift, then rejecting it. But, then again, people ARE fickle and I have learned not to underestimate their capacity for sin. Fortunately, I have also learned not to underestimate Christ's capacity for mercy and grace. After all, He died for us while we were but sinners (Romans 5:8). |
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429 | Can anyone explain this to me | Revelation | Parable | 44963 | ||
How many other words yield the sum "666"? Is each one of them also the Devil? What is the biblical significance of your code, i.e. using consecutive multiples of 6 for each letter of our alphabet for an English word? What if I can find a way to make "Jesus Christ" add up to 666? Does it mean anything? NO! In itself, there is nothing wrong with numerology; it can be a fun pasttime, used for encryption of confidential information or an exercise for elementary math students. However, the problem with numerology is it can become like astrology, sorcery, witchcraft, voodoo, etc. These pursuits are sin because people put their faith in them, instead of in God. Don't let the enemy distract you from God with random coincidence. Also, computers are just tools like anything else that can be used for good or evil. |
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430 | What does this verse mean? | Ps 37:1 | Parable | 44685 | ||
Also, it means don't envy the wordly gains of the wicked, for they will lose those things when they die and if you delight in the Lord, he will provide all you could ever imagine and more! | ||||||
431 | What does this verse mean? | Ps 37:1 | Parable | 44684 | ||
Sometimes it helps to consult another translation and to look at the context of a verse (NIV) Psalm 37:1-4 1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. To me, this means, don't get upset over the actions of wicked people for their fate is certain. Instead, devote yourself to the Lord; you will be safe from the wicked, so there is no need to worry about what they do. |
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432 | Parable, who in Matt 13:3-23 is saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 44679 | ||
As I understand Jesus' explanation, the Word of God is the seed, we are the soil and the Kingdom of God (salvation) is the bountiful crops. Clearly, the first three examples of poor soil don't yield anything. Only the good soil produced crops, so those who are good soil, fertile for God's Word and fruitful, are saved. This proportion is reflected 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. |
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433 | If u r saved, can u become not saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 44656 | ||
Perhaps Jesus' parable of the sower speaks to this question: Matthew 13: 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear." 10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." 18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Amen. |
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434 | How to show Christ is God? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44642 | ||
I agree with both of you. We must not compromise Truth in an effort to get others to believe it. | ||||||
435 | How to show Christ is God? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44641 | ||
Yes. Without God, we are depraved and deserve death! | ||||||
436 | How to explain Jesus' exclusive claim? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44640 | ||
Most definitely! In answer to your question, my journey to faith in Christ came like this: Looking for love in all the wrong places. Self-destructive behavior. Isolation. Using others. Spiritual emptiness, dispair. Increasing Awe at God's glory as revealed in His Creation. No way could it all be by chance. Invitation by a Christian to get right with God. Christian education, including reading "More than a Carpenter" by Josh McDowell. Acceptance of the evidence and conclusion that Christ's resurrection is real, historical fact. Understanding what His Resurrection says about who He is. Conviction by the Holy Spirit that fundamentally, I am depraved, helpless and deserve death, and yet, God already did that in my place. Letting go of my sin, turning to God. Accepting God's forgiveness, endeavoring to "go and sin no more" and obey His commands to "love God" and "love others". AMEN! |
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437 | How to explain Jesus' exclusive claim? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44637 | ||
Many of Jesus' sayings are hard not because we fail to understand them, but rather because we understand them all too well. He is offensive because He challenges us at our very core, requiring nothing less than total obedience to God. Of course, because He is merciful, He forgives us for our failures to live up to this standard of perfection and graces us to grow to be more like Him. Understanding His claim is not the problem for many. My concern was how we can help others to get over their negative reaction and see it for the Truth that it is. The answers posted in response are insightful and speak to the practical experiences we can expect in our walk with Christ. |
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438 | How to show Christ is God? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44509 | ||
Excellent advice! If I may follow-up ..... Your answer hinges on Christ not only being the incarnation of God, a radical idea to be sure, but also that Jesus is ONLY incarnation of God, an offensive idea for many because it denies the legitimacy of other religions. This of course is the essence of our faith, but for unbelievers, it is perhaps the most difficult truth to accept. As I work in a highly secular environment, a university, I'm looking for credible ways to share the truth of Christ without depending on Scripture as ultimate authority, at least at first, and without assuming the person accepts that Jesus is God and that He is the ONLY incarnation of God. |
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439 | How to explain Jesus' exclusive claim? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44452 | ||
In John 14:6b, Jesus says "No one comes to the Father except through me." Many reject Christ, or have real trouble accepting Him because of His unique, exclusive claim. When witnessing to unbelievers, how do you explain to them why you accept His claim? And, in practical terms, what difference does it make to your walk with him? I'm not looking so much for bible verses that support the truth of His statement, but rather how you explain to unbelievers why this makes sense, knowing that they do not yet recognize the authority of scripture. |
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440 | Why carry on like a playground dispute? | Acts 1:3 | Parable | 44448 | ||
I appreciate your concern and suggestion for the website, which I'll visit. However, I'm happy to say that Dr. Ross is definitely a Christian and he holds that Scripture is the Word of God. He was a pastor for approx. 15 years and is founder of REASONS TO BELIEVE, visit www.reasons.org While he is an accomplished scientist, he does not place science equal to or above the authority of scripture. |
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