Results 541 - 559 of 559
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Results from: Notes Author: Wild Olive Shoot Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
541 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149755 | ||
Okay, I'm lost now. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm probably just missing the point. But what does your reply have to do with th question I posed? What is the reference to a capitalized "Their". WOS |
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542 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149702 | ||
If a person says "I don't know where in the Bible that is, but I experienced it, and the Spirit in me confirms it," that person is on dangerous ground. We don't confirm truth or base our beliefs on subjective feelings. The Spirit confirmed it with Paul. Are we not privy to the same Spirit? Romans 9:1(NIV) I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (NIV) 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. WOS |
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543 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149700 | ||
"The Protestant principle that the Church should always be striving to conform to Scripture. So should all Christians!" Doc, I whole-heartedly agree with this. We must continue to search Scripture for in God's revelation to us we find the truth. We must realize that truth and live it out in order for us to live and serve in a manner worthy of God. However, many individuals don't see the reformation as such, rather it is viewed as a separation. Martin Luther was seeking to separate from the Church he was seeking reform. But how could the “true church”, that is one headed by Christ, built on the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles, go astray? So did Luther in demanding reform admit that Christ failed in leading His Church or that the true Church wasn’t in existence? Evidently, his protest for reform, to keep the Church, not to separate from it or abolish it, shows his respect for the Church as being true. My fear is in the establishing of doctrine instituted by men who were not directly commissioned by Christ Himself for teaching doctrine with the authority of an Apostle. The Millerites and their misinterpretation of the Second Coming is an example of what, man without the authority of Christ can do to Scripture. That is, to install teachings and doctrine that contradict the Word, which Sola Scripture denounces as it dictates God’s word, The Bible, is the final authority, not mans. How can man simply look at Scripture and decide they can know the mind of God? God in His infinite wisdom does not reveal all to us, just what He deemed necessary. With all of that said, I profess that I do look to Scripture as the final authority. But I dare not add anything to it as doctrine. All doctrine must in fact, be supported by Scripture but to take the text and use it out of context to support a doctrine instated by man is a very dangerous and unscriptural act of placing man’s knowledge above God’s. With that said, I thank you so very much for your comments and instruction. They have proven to be very effective and productive for me. WOS |
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544 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149696 | ||
“Even Jesus- as God in the flesh- did not counter satan with His "experience" in Matt 4. He quoted the WRITTEN word! That's a pretty strong endorsement as to its' authority”. And the Written Word Jesus spoke of was the New Testament??? In all my learning, since there was no New Testament for Christ or the Apostles to refer to, they spoke of the Old Testament and the oral teachings they themselves had rendered as the word of God. When they spoke of the Word, it was not only the written word to which they speaking. Romans 10:17 (NASB) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 1Peter 1:25 (NASB) BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER " And this is the word which was preached to you. Faith comes from hearing, which is an oral communication. And 1 Peter tells us the word was preached, again an oral communication. So where does it mention that the written word will supplant the oral teachings of Christ and the Apostles? Just something to think about. WOS |
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545 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149669 | ||
Doc, thanks a bunch. That's what I'm talking about. If one is going to point to a particular doctrine or teaching that is not easily referenced within The Bible, due to name or word translation, then for the benefit of all, it needs to be explained so all have a chance to understand for themselves. One thing, if you would explain just a bit further: You stated that "In 1517 a declaration was made that the faithful would no longer forsake the Word in favor of tradition". But tradition is still part of the faithful's life, just not held above Scripture, correct? 2 Thessalonians 2:15(NASB)So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. WOS |
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546 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149668 | ||
1 Corinthians 12(NIV):3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. The Spirit works through us and throughout us as He pleases. He moves us as He pleases. The Word itself testifies to different areas and in different ways we can be moved. Now I for one have not had the good fortune of experiencing anything close to what has been described in this thread, but I will not limit God and his ability to do so. WOS |
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547 | wjhat are the qualifications being | John 3:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149664 | ||
Just a question. Show me where in the Bible I may find the term "Sola Scripture" as being the word of God? Isn't Sola Scripture in fact a man's teaching that didn't arrive for thousands of years after our New Testament was penned by the God inspired men who wrote it. I ask because this is a Bible Study Forum and not all may be familiar with Luther's teaching since we can't directly find it in the Bible. It would be helpful to those who are not sure of a certain teaching if references were used that we all could easily view. WOS |
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548 | help | Luke 11:2 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149439 | ||
It's from Romans 11:11-24. Referenced by Paul when describing his vision of a "unified" church. We are the “wild olive shoots”. From the wild, uncultivated tree, we were grafted into the natural tree, because of our faith in Christ. The screen name helps to remind me that it is unity among Christ's faithful that should be sought. We should be united in our love for God, obedience to Christ and while respecting God's law, we look to Christ alone for our salvation. Our ethnic background and social status should be irrelevant as what matters is our faith. We are to be one in Christ. (Galatians 3:28,29) WOS |
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549 | help | Luke 11:2 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149419 | ||
And my prayer is that God speaks to all, everyone of us, through His Word or otherwise. May He open our eyes, our ears, our minds and hearts so that we may be able to hear Him when He does speak. May He richly bless us all and keep us His. In Christ's name. WOS |
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550 | help | Luke 11:2 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149377 | ||
Doc, I’m referring you to the following site. Including an excerpt in this post. http://www.gotquestions.org/God-still-speak.html Just to clarify, I don’t hold in low esteem the Word of God that He chose to reveal to us. What I do hold in low regard is the opinion that God does not communicate and speak to us outside His word. His very own word proves otherwise. “Finally, yes, God likely does sometimes speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does. Again, even in the Bible, God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary. If anyone claims that God has spoken to them, always compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible. God does not contradict Himself. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 proclaims, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” © Copyright 2002-2005 Got Questions Ministries. All Rights Reserved. www.gotquestions.org Does God still speak to us today? Don’t hinder others from opening their ears and hearts to God speaking to them. Rather point them in the direction of learning to distinguish the voice of God from other voices that call out to them. Encourage and uplift others. Christ won us the opportunity to approach God on a personal level. The veil was torn. We have the ability to communicate with God and He shows that when we do, He replies. God’s own words clearly show that yes He does communicate to us, through more than just His Word. We just need to be willing to hear. WOS |
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551 | help | Luke 11:2 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149326 | ||
I'm sorry but I have to offer my two cents on this. Doc, I must say, with all due respect, the manner in which you wordsmith is twisting and confusing. Your wrote: Regarding John 10 and the sheep hearing the voice of the Shepherd: This discourse is about salvation. It has nothing to say about "listening for God," nor is it establishing a normative practice for believers. I disagree with you here. It speaks of salvation yes, but it also speaks to the sovereignty of God and our response to that. It speaks of both divine sovereignty in the shepherd's call and our, “mans”, response, in hearing, knowing and the following by the sheep. It also speaks of discernment, since there are more voices calling to us than just our own shepherd's, we must be able to recognize. Following Jesus means refusing to follow others who are claiming to be shepherds. Jesus' sheep will actually run away from strangers. You wrote: "I for one am not going to limit God to how he can speak to me." I would submit, very humbly and very respectfully, ma'am, that you do limit Him. If you believe that the Scripture is not sufficient for your every need and that it is inadequate to stir the deepest delight and joy in your heart, then you are limiting God because you are not taking Him at His Word. Since God is sovereign and omnipotent He can not be limited in anything He chooses to do and that would include how He choose to identify Himself to us, whether it be in His word or in His ability to communicate otherwise. He does as He pleases. Don't rationalize His omnipotence and limit it to Scripture. You then followed that up with: Also, let me add that those who have a high view of the Scriptures are not limiting God. God has, rather, limited Himself. He is the One Who has chosen to use this vehicle to communicate to His own. Throughout history God has used many vehicles to convey his word. He spoke directly to some. In other cases He utilized the power of miracles. Sometimes His voice was a gentle whisper, other times it was a violent wind. His angels have communicated His word to us through burning bushes, the mouth of a donkey, in dreams and in revelations. And yes, the things of nature “reveal” God to us, but in order for us to recognize, they must speak to us. It may not be verbally, but rather spiritually. You say: God forbids anyone from removing or adding to His Word. Show me in His word where God tells us that is all we get? I say ask, seek and find. You also wrote: You also keep saying that God speaks in prayer. Prayer is speaking to God. It is offering thanksgiving, praise, adoration, and making supplication. Is there a Scripture that you use to derive a different meaning? Yes, prayer is speaking to God. But God answers prayers. God speaks to us in response to prayer. Now primarily, that is through the Bible, but He also speaks to our conscience by way of the Holy Spirit. It all comes down to being able to recognize His voice when He does speak. Balaam didn’t realize God was trying to communicate with him until the Lord opened his eyes. Maybe we all need to open our eyes, or rather, ask the Lord to open our eyes and we could see more clearly just how He communicates with his. (Numbers 22:28-34) Samuel heard the word of God but didn’t realize it until Eli had instructed him. (1Sam.3:1-10) Personally, God has never spoken to me, in a manner in which I could say for sure, yes that was God’s voice, but I do recognize events in which I believe He is communicating, one way or another through His Holy Spirit. He has also spoken to me through His word. However, I don’t limit His ability to communicate on any basis. How God chooses to speak to another, that is His choice and you or I have nothing to say about it. And concerning your follow up: PS Following are a few quotes that demonstrate the discomfort I have with experiences like you describe. What these folks talk about is substantively no different. If we allow for these self-validating, mystical experiences, then it opens the door for many other errors! Scripture, God’s word, does give us the means in which to identify the nature of what you call “mystical experiences”. I’ll trust God’s words over yours or any mans as authority concerning how to identify the nature of the spirits. If we shut ourselves off to God and His speaking to us and our reactions to it, then we invite the unwanted in to our lives. That opens the door far wider for errors to enter in. What is the use of praying for direction and guidance if God in return does not answer? In expecting no answer, you ask to remain in a dark, ungodly world without a guiding light whatsoever. WOS |
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552 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149206 | ||
Hey EdB, just trying to shed some light on the subject. Please, don't look at anything I stated as argumentative or defensive. Just to clarify something though, when speaking on maturity, I wasn't implying that anyone or any denomination was immature. But many seem to argue over issues of basic Christian doctrine and get stuck at that level, referencing the scripture taken from Hebrews. The arguments over doctrine, which should already be well known to the new or existing Christian, are rather immature, and we should move on. Sort of like moving on to bigger and better things, growing spiritually and progressing towards Christ promoting unity not dissension. Get over what we already know as fact and move on to more mature things that we should be learning. That's all. Regarding application, I agree with you 100 percent. Application of God's word in our life is of the utmost importance. After all, what is the purpose of God's word given to us if we don't apply it? I just feel that application will vary based on where we are in our spiritual growth with Christ. Since we are all not at the same level, application can vary, but application is still the desire. Glad you thought there were some good things you could pull. That's what my hope was and if they helped just one, then it served its purpose. I must let you know, your reply helped my perspective as well and I thank you for that. WOS |
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553 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149169 | ||
Scripture that I hope supports my stance concerning the preceding posts. Corinthians 2:6-16 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Galatians 1:6-9 1 Timothy 1:4-6 1 Timothy 4:1-5 2 Timothy 3:16-17 2 Timothy 4:2-4 Titus 1:8-16 Colossians 2:4-8 |
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554 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149168 | ||
Continued from previous post. The goal I am trying to reach is this: Though our outlook differs somewhat from person to person, it is only because the Scripture in which we read is applied to our lives differently. Our circumstances our not the same, our physical conditions are not the same, our maturity in Christ is not the same and our application of God’s word in our lives is not the same. All of these play a vital role in the Spirit revealing to us what He deems necessary at the time. But our Lord has still established a common ground for us to anchor in. If we pull from that, though our answers seem different, we still remained unified in Him, the essential source of those answers. Hebrews 6 lays the elementary teachings of Christ. The author of Hebrews tells us that we need to move on to more mature teachings. Hebrews 6: 1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so. In our maturity process, Paul points out in Ephesians that we need to hold on to the fundamental beliefs as we grow in Christ. Ephesians 4: 4There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one hope when you were called– 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But as we mature, our application of God’s word may differ in our lives. That’s okay. That’s to be expected. But we should be promoting that in unity and with the understanding, that although we differ slightly in the application of God’s word, we still pull those applications from the common source of Jesus Christ and what God has revealed to us in His word. The answers we search our in the Bible. Are all of the answers there? No, I don’t think so. I know God hasn’t revealed to us when His Son will be returning. But what the Bible is to me is God’s complete revelation to us. God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us all we need to know. All the answers that we need to live a life to accomplish His work in us, has been revealed in His word to us, all of them. Now I’m not saying that there isn’t other material available to help us, but in the end, our Holy Bible has to be the final authority concerning our questions of God, Christ and His Church. I trust that God knows what is needed and I realize that, who am I to question God and claim that He still owes me answers. In my finite worldly wisdom, I have done that and I have been wrong. God owes me nothing. He owes us nothing. He has graciously given us what we need to live our lives in a manner pleasing to Him. And we owe it to Him to do that. He has also informed us that all questions will be answered in the end. But we have to get there first. Faith is the key: Hebrews 11 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So as long as our outlook and answers are rooted in the basic principals of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, can they be wrong? Not if we let the Spirit guide us on our search for those answers. We know our Bible does not answer all questions, but on a subject to which the Word is silent, we must rely on our consciences, our hearts, the Spirit of God to guide us. We risk much by turning to worldly wisdom to find our answers. Now like I said, there is plenty of material out there to help us along the path, but scripture forewarns us of the dangers of it as well, so let us choose our material wisely, with a godly wisdom. Just my thoughts. WOS |
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555 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149167 | ||
Continued from previous post. In keeping the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace, what are the seven unifying features among Christians. These are items that establish our common ground as Christians. They are found in verses 4 and 5 of chapter 4. 4There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one hope when you were called– 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. There is only one church, the church of Christ. It doesn’t matter what denominational name you place on it. There is only one Spirit that was sent to guide us and mark us. There is only one hope to which all of the believers are called. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. There is only one faith, the faith in Him who does offer us salvation. There is only one baptism in which we are baptized to Christ. There is only one God the Father, creator of the heavens and the earth. The great I Am, who is sovereign over all. These are the items that all Christians have in common that unite us into the body of Christ. Proverbs 6:16, 19 mentions things we are to avoid. Which of those do you think specifically addresses efforts to keep the peace? 16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Look at the last part of verse 19. The Lord despises a man who stirs up dissension among his brothers. They are everywhere. We have all probably done this in some way shape or form. I know I have. Many of us look at our church as being the correct way or the only way. Let me tell you my thoughts, there is only one correct way and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. John 14 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. By focusing on Christ, we can all agree and promote unity, the way it is intended and most assuredly, the way it will be when He returns, one way or the other. Knowing the things in which we should be unified, Ephesians 2:19-22 speaks to where we should be turning for answers by mentioning the foundation of which God’s house (us or the church) is built on. This is specific to us because we because though some of our answers are similar, some are very different as well. However, they should be coming from the same source, a common ground (or foundation), to guide us in our unification with one another and God based on common beliefs. Our answers may be different in application but only because we are all not in the same sphere spiritually and that is to be considered and expected since we are not the same person. We mature in Christ, mentioned in verses 11 through 13 of chapter 4, at a rate and speed most likely determined by Him and how open we are to His word. We mature with the help of those mentioned specifically in 4:11 as well as others. With all of that being said… What is the foundation spoken of in verse 20 of Ephesians 2? And what does each represent? This is a really neat answer, I think. The foundation mentioned in the verse is made up of the Prophets and the Apostles. What do you normally think of when you think of each? The Prophets for the most part are from the Old Testament. The Apostles are from our New Testament. Together, they comprise our Holy Bible. Now when Paul was writing Ephesians, of course there was no New Testament. But they did have the direct teachings of Jesus Christ as He had giving to His Apostles, which is basically our New Testament now. The teachings of the Prophets and the Apostles are our foundation in which we, the Temple is built, with Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone, holding us together. So in essence, our answers that we reply with are taken from The Holy Bible. Any answers to question concerning God and Christ and His church have been revealed to us and should be found in The Holy Bible. Finished in next post. |
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556 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149166 | ||
Since I’ve been reading all the talk concerning denominational beliefs, I thought I could share my thoughts and pray they help to somewhat place things into perspective. Now I haven’t read all of the posts but it seems to me the ones I did read kind of repeat themselves, so I believe I have received the gist of it. The following is two-fold and looks into Ephesians 4 and then Ephesians 2. All scripture that I have quoted is taken from the NIV. We are all Christians, that is, we have established our faith in Christ. We believe that God incarnated Himself in human form, God the Son, Jesus Christ. He was born into this world by a virgin. He died on the cross for our sins and transgressions, was resurrected and ascended to Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. He sent His Holy Spirit to baptize and indwell us, who believe, and mark us as His until His return, when we believers, will be seated with Christ for eternity and in the presence of God. We should be unified in those beliefs. In those beliefs we are the body of Christ (the church) to which He is the head. Read Ephesians 4. It displays how we (the church) should be unified in Christ and then gives us practical applications on how to achieve that. Paul explains in Ephesians 4 that we are to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Then shows the seven ways in which Christians are unified. How are we to make that “every effort” to keep the peace without surrendering basic beliefs? We all have noticed and especially as of late, how one denomination jokes or ridicules another because of differences, not so much fundamental beliefs, but more so on organizational beliefs. Many people jump on the Catholics for their belief that priests should not marry and many have problems confessing sins to another “man”. Many jump on the Pentecostal church for their speaking in tongues. I’ve done it. The Baptists have their organizational doctrine as well as the Methodists and they differ in practice, all of them. Each church organization has their own guidelines that members are to adhere to. Many have a no tolerance approach in dealing with those who don’t worship within those guidelines. I think this passage speaks directly to those people. Christians have a fundamental belief that I kind of outlined when sending the questions for this week. We need to keep the peace with others who promote the same fundamental beliefs. I think we do that with a loving disposition towards the body of Christ. Our Lord has established a common ground for to anchor to. Paul whenever he preached the Gospel to a new group, he established a common ground and worked within that realm. We need to see that example and follow it. When talking to another who may be from a different background or upbringing, we need to focus on similarities and not differences. So long as the fundamental beliefs are the same, we should be focusing on those in Christ. Promoting unity within the church, the whole church, just not our denominational church. Continued in next post. |
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557 | what about the mark of the beast??? | Rev 13:16 | Wild Olive Shoot | 149072 | ||
Don't take Matthew 5:30 out of context. The number of the beast on the hand or forehead is a future event and used to identify ones allegiance to the anti-christ. Christ, when speaking of cutting off your hand was speaking toward our present life, our Christian life, and was speaking figuratively, Christ would not condone self-mutilation, that is what the pagans do. Christ was simply telling us that we must do all we can to eliminate that which causes us to sin. Remove it from our self, or remove our self from it. It sounds extreme when stated like He stated it but we must take it in its harshness and realize how serious sin is. We must do all we can, within our good conscience, to eliminate that which causes us eternal death, sin. WOS |
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558 | Personal interpretation? | Eph 4:3 | Wild Olive Shoot | 148978 | ||
They chose and pick Scripture, ignoring Truth and augmenting insignificant findings... Angel, just wanted to say, Excellent point as made evident by the devil himself when tempting Christ in the wilderness. He quoted Scripture (Psalm 91) but wanted Christ to apply it in an improper manner. Matthew 4:6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" I for one firmly believe that interpretation is God's but our application varies based on individual circumstances. Just a thought. WOS |
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559 | Taking Him for His word | Matt 24:2 | Wild Olive Shoot | 148365 | ||
Doc, Emmaus: Thanks a bunch. That info may help. | ||||||
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