Results 601 - 620 of 729
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Results from: Notes Author: charis Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
601 | In Jesus' name...except baptism? | Col 3:17 | charis | 965 | ||
Dear Xapis, I agree with your use of Colossians 2:12. Indeed, from God's point of view, baptism is not into a 'formula,' but by faith into Him. I have no intention of separating the Trinity. However, my point is the original scripture, Colossians 3:17 and the many scriptures in the New Testament the encourage us to live and hope in the name of Jesus. But, when it comes to water baptism, there is great controversy. In the Lord, this seems strange. Since tradition strongly favors those who use the accepted 'formula,' I have no 'earthly wisdom' to protect. I ask this from a sincere desire to serve my Lord Jesus. One of the most effective ways I know to serve Him is to study and observe the heart and actions of the apostles that actually walked with Jesus, and to pursue the same Spirit that they were led by. I know they were not infallible, but I also know that God gave us a record of their walk in faith that we might be strengthened and encouraged. I continue to ask, "All in Jesus' name...except baptism?" In Christ Jesus | ||||||
602 | In Jesus' name...except baptism? | Col 3:17 | charis | 969 | ||
see (again) Apostles mistaken? | ||||||
603 | In Jesus' name...except baptism? | Col 3:17 | charis | 991 | ||
Dear wdc, Well answered! Not because you reflect MY thinking, but because you answered the question, using the Bible. I have no notion or desire to be 'correct, as compared to other wrong people.' I want to please my Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One. I, too, believe in the Trinity, but am not a Trinitarian. I believe in three cleansing baptisms, but am not Baptist or Pentacostal or Charismatic. I believe in ministry, but am not a Minister. Blessed be the name of the Lord, without the adjectives. (Before anyone jumps on that, thinking that I mean the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are adjectives, this is not my meaning. Trinitarian, Calvinist, Methodist, Charismatic, etc. are all modifiers of the noun Christian. These are not blessed and holy, but human. My apologies to any that take offense. If anyone believes their adjective to be 'special,' let us all know.) In Jesus' name. | ||||||
604 | In Jesus' name...except baptism? | Col 3:17 | charis | 1065 | ||
My dear Xapis, I very much agree with your conclusion. If the heart is right and obedience to the command of the Lord (however he is taught by those around him, depending on THEIR belief) the baptism is effective by faith in He Who saves. But, I must say that you seem to be saying that it could depend on the 'level' of faith and-or the background of the believer. Is there a test to determine the appropriate 'formula?' Sorry! My tongue got stuck in my cheek. Xapis, please trust me that it is not my intention to allow depravity (even the 'paralleled' kind) to rule over my heart. My good friend and mentor, a Lutheran (but I forgive him:-), always used to say to me, "Let's not get wrapped up in our underwear!" when discussing our faith. (1,000 pardons if you are offended by this phrase) However, the name of Jesus is not just any word, and it is not a dispute, but a scholarly discussion. If you would look at my previous postings, and my original question, you would see that it is legitimate food for discussion. I accept your attempt to explain the (perceived) discrepancy with due consideration. I know that the Bible, by definition, cannot contradict Itself, and should not be divisive. I pursue truth and eventual unity of faith. It may be that this is 'hidden' truth, but I am fairly certain that God has revealed the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to us and to the world. However, I still see a lot of emotion and tradition in some of the postings I have read, as well as lots of study, and many good hearts. Please, let us continue in this great fellowship of study and discussion, even if you don't want to address this particular question any more. By the way, in case you or anyone else is interested, I baptize believers (not kids) saying, "Shu Iesu Kirisuto no mina ni yotte." ("In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.") myself. Blessings in Christ Jesus. | ||||||
605 | The headship of Christ | Col 3:17 | charis | 1328 | ||
Dear Ray V.H., I do see where you are coming from, very clearly. I keep trying to look at the scriptures in light of your comments, and I do see a temptation to use capitals. I am not a Bible scholar by any stretch of the imagination, so I can't comment on the ideas of the men who have devoted themselves to this task with authority. It does seem, however, that they only used capitals when the meaning and intention of the scriptures was without reasonable doubt. I must say that the verses from Colossians could be a bit ambiguous. I think the NASB is correct in not capitalizing those verses, but this would not stop me from using them in a 'capital' sense when preaching them or teaching about them, for the sake of portraying Christ. Good thoughts and comments! Blessings in Christ Jesus. | ||||||
606 | The headship of Christ | Col 3:17 | charis | 1347 | ||
Dear Ray V.H., I certainly agree with you about the NIV. It is a bit too 'casual' for me. Possibly they will incorporate your ideas in the NNASB (the New New American Standard Bible :-) Please do publish your comparison, but remember that this feeble brain might have a GPF. Regards in Christ. | ||||||
607 | The headship of Christ | Col 3:17 | charis | 1473 | ||
Greetings, Ray V.H., (and all the saints following this line of discussion) I was new to computers myself, not too long ago. I was 'elected' to learn about them in order to keep our school computers running. The 'smiley' is an emoticon. There are lots I don't know, but I like 'smiley' and 'winky' ;-), with an occasional frown :-(. A GPF is a Windows term, meaning 'General Protection Fault,' or sometimes lovingly BSoD, 'Blue Screen of Death.' This usually means that your PC is in terminal confusion, and even if it says PAK, 'Press Any Key,' your unsaved data is toast (forfeit). When a person GPFs, it means that a 'restart' is in order, or restate in simpler langauge. (of course, we all know that Macs, and Mac users, never have any problems ;-) Some other terms you might want to know are BTW, 'by the way,' LOL, 'laughing out loud,' ROFL (sometimes ROTFL), 'rolling on the floor, laughing.' One important point of 'Netiquette' is that ALL CAPS means 'shouting' or 'screaming,' and is rude. Lately, all small-case and inane contractions are popular, but (to me) that is just 'illiterate' or 'immature.' Please note that all do not share my opinions ;-) As to your desire to 'more correctly' capitalize or not capitalize, I would say that when preaching or discussing the exposition of scripture, this is a good, even healthy thing. I often find myself modifying (very carefully!) the capitalization or punctuation. (Especially when I am explaining the meaning of the Japanese Bible translation, which tends to be more traditional than accurate) However, I believe a 'movement' to get your modifications incorporated into the 'next' version of the NASB will be unfruitful, unless you are recognized as one of the contributors of a following translation effort. I am satisfied with the NASB, as I believe it to be as close to perfect as was possible at the time. As with any revelation, the Holy Spirit will continue to 'adjust' our understanding to His thoughts. Bless your work in Jesus' name. | ||||||
608 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | charis | 16959 | ||
Dear kalos, A very hearty Amen to your comments! Indeed, the name of Jesus can be 'mindless and heartless repetition,' which would revoke any meaning and efficacy. The 'power' is not in the utterance of the name, but in the faith of the utterer. (as is witnessed in using His holy name as a curse or exclamation) Friend, you are correct that the Bible refers to the Lord as Christ, the Christ, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus or, in this Scripture, the Lord Jesus. But, His name IS Jesus, and I am certain that He is not offended if we call Him by name, as long as we recognize in our hearts His Lordship and His Anointing. Please know that this IS of consequence to at least one other Forum member! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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609 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | charis | 18526 | ||
Dear kalos, Greetings in Jesus' name! As one of the most blatant 'offenders' on this forum, I must say that I disagree with several points brought up by Gregory Koukl. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to draw the conclusion that we are, first, to pray in the name of Jesus, and second, praying in the name of Jesus doesn't mean ending your prayer with the phrase "In the name of Jesus. Amen,"" Rocket science never brought us to Christ, either! Indeed, I have seen 'meaningless repetition' of the name of the Lord. In one single prayer, Jesus, Lord, Holy Spirit, Father, and just about every name of our God is invoked repetitively, so much so that you don't even know what is being prayed for! I find this to be 'using the name of the Lord in vain.' However, to find 'fault' with calling upon the name of the Lord, and then ending your petition, your communication with God, in His name is, frankly, offensive to me. The Word does not give us 'canned' prayers that we are to follow exactly. Jesus would not end His prayers in His own name. The apostles and other writers of the New Testament proclaimed the efficacy of the name of the Lord. To state that it "might even be hurting your prayer" is one of the more foolish statements I have come across. If it is 'just a phrase,' this might be so, but to discourage the utterance of the name of the Lord Jesus is irresponsible, as it denies those weak in faith the one Name that could help them to understand better. What he is, in effect, saying is that unless you have perfect understanding of this name, you cannot use it. So, where do we get this 'perfect understanding?' Academically? Through Gregory Koukl? NO! We come to an understanding of God by calling upon His holy name, and the Holy Spirit is faithful to hear the cry of our hearts! Yes, we need balance in our prayers! But this fellow has just taken the pendulum swing to 'opposite lock!' Blessings, my friend, and my fellow saints in Christ Jesus, charis |
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610 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | charis | 18532 | ||
Dear Joe, Greetings in Jesus' name! Thank you for clarifying this, my friend. Brother Koukl's radio program is not broadcast in my part of the woods! My only point of reference was the quote on the forum and the included web-page. Which is exactly why it is important to be careful to portray 'the rest of the story.' I was attempting to do so for the benefit of our many and various participants. :-) I pray that the sum of this thread would lead us to know His holy name, and call upon His name wisely and effectively! Indeed, may we not just use a Christian 'catch phrase' or 'code word,' as my distinguished fellow and colleague kalos has so aptly posted in another thread on Christian/Bible terms. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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611 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | charis | 18567 | ||
Dear kalos, Greetings in Jesus' name! I was very careful to read the entire article. Honestly, I am more put out with the entire article than I am with the excerpt you quoted, but wanted to give this brother in Christ the benefit of the doubt. Our colleague Joe has testified that Mr. Koukl has a balanced radio ministry, so I can infer that this particular article is not representative of his overall manner of thinking. I have no intention of censuring him. :-) The point remains that I believe in the efficacy of the name of Jesus, and fully trust that calling upon His name in faith is a worthy prelude to prayer, and a valid conclusion. I am not one to use 'phrases' or 'codes,' and do not subscribe any supernatural 'power' to the mere utterance of the name, or endless repetition. (having once been a Buddhist, I am well aware of the foolishness of 'chanting a sutra' :-)) As I have stated before in another thread, taking the time to think what you're saying is a lost art of faith. Many prayers are prayed at the pace of the Indianapolis 500, or they are prayed with no thought whatsoever! I once saw a minister stand up, pull out a card from his pocket and read, "O Lord, give us spontaneous, meaningful prayer!" No joke or exaggeration, my friend! I almost burst out laughing at the hypocrisy! Another thing, while I'm on a roll, whatever happened to looking someone in the eye and saying, "Bless you, my brother, in Jesus' name," or going to someone's home and enter with, "May the Lord Jesus bless your home."? I see so many churches 'greet one another' with "God bless you!' and back-slapping, and roaming eyes and Shacklee sales pitches! Makes my heart sick! So, if you are saying that we should speak the name of Jesus with focused attention and heartfelt meaning, I agree completely! AMEN! But if you are saying that we should, as Brother Koukl wrote in the article, end our prayers with, "The prayer is over, let's eat," or ,"We're done, let's go on," I pass. I prefer my method, even if some may think it 'harmful' or as an 'exit' phrase. :-) If I may say so, this is akin to the old conundrum, "God knows my needs and my heart, so why should I pray at all?" My good friend kalos, know that I write this to all our forum fellows. Indeed, we are called to be a balance for truth. Know that I mean what I say when I send... Blessings to you in Jesus' name! charis |
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612 | In Jesus' name...except baptism? | Col 3:17 | charis | 54526 | ||
Dear luv2study, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Trust that I have no confusion on this issue! :-) Please search the word 'baptism' AND the user 'charis' to see exactly what I believe. BTW, I am not a 'Trinitarian,' but I fully believe in the doctrine of a tri-une God, as clearly shown in Scripture. Thank you for your reply. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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613 | Why do we disagree? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 841 | ||
Friends, the uncomfortable answer would be sin. Though saved by grace, we are still influenced by sin. Looking at the history of the church, it appears that many divisions (denominations) were brought about by pride, arrogance, greed, and selfishness. If we were to try to believe that denominations were created by further revelation, then the most recent divisions would be the best, the closest to God. I don't think so. The word denomination means of a different name. A name different than Jesus the Christ. Any time we add a name to Christ, we divide Him. I don't claim to know Him better than another, I just know that He cannot be pleased with division. I fervently pray for unity, and I believe this forum (communication) will help. In Jesus. | ||||||
614 | What is the point? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 1331 | ||
Dear EveryHome, Opening up my mail just prior to bedtime is terrible! I read your answer with great interest. Though I 'abstain' from any capital 'X' label, I appreciate your Arminian views. I also believe in the possibility of apostacy, but I don't believe it is very easy. Overall, I must say that I think you are giving Satan more power than he has been given. I think this has always been the case. As a master of deceit, his most powerful weapon is that of confusing and frightening God's people. I stand by my statement that study of God's end-time plan is fine, and 'seeing through' the false prophets and false 'christs' is necessary, but submitting to sensationalism is definitely not productive. It does seem to me that some of these 'false christs' will use the 'rapture' for their purposes. A good end-time teaching will give you the ability to prepare for the coming of Jesus where you are. When they teach you to 'come over here,' I am wary. "...I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12 NASB I am certain that God would not allow Satan to put us through a tribulation that we could not stand. So...live in Christ Jesus. |
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615 | What is the point? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 1344 | ||
Good morning, EveryHome. You are very observant. I DO live in a world you do not live in. As to my sleeping habits, they are just fine ;-) Sorry, my friend, I couldn't help leading you on for a moment...I live in Japan. You see, I am very much aware of Satan's ability to 'sway' Christians from the path. I just don't agree that he can 'snatch' us away from God. If you would use Search for 'Snatch' or 'Salvation' you will find a great discussion on that. Thank you very much for your compliment. In faith, I cannot consider any word more favorable than 'centrist.' I frequently use the capital 'X' thing because I find that many Christians who favor any particular 'proper' adjective describing their faith are not 'something more than Christ,' but something less than Christ.' I am sorry, too, that I left off the first part of 2 Timothy 2:12. It, and the context, are among my favorites. I understand persecution and very much, and I believe that it is in persecution that the church really shines. Remember my situation, less than 1 percent 'professing' Christians, and probably one-tenth that Bible-believing and church-attending. There are no Christian television shows or radio stations (maybe a blessing!) and few of the reference materials you enjoy are translated. Yet, the church shines. I believe the church will shine on that day, or in those days, if you prefer, and Satan will be found to be not as strong as some think. Well, I must go to church. I am blessed to hear your views. Love in Christ Jesus. | ||||||
616 | What is the point? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 1412 | ||
Dear EveryHome, I appreciate very much your comments and compliments. You did indeed ask me for specifics, and I did not comply. I wish I could point to few resources, or even one that has 'impressed me.' Unfortunately, none come to mind. The main reason for this is not my arrogance, but my ignorance. I've been here for almost 15 years, and when I go to the U.S. I always look at the titles available on the shelf, and sometimes buy them. However, my (limited) experience has always left me disappointed. I guess it is because they are usually 'best-seller' type books appealing more to the emotions (flesh-soul) than to the heart (soul-spirit). Though almost all books use scripture, the focus is sensationalism, alarmism and divisive support for their 'X-trib' docrine, not faith building words of exhortation or encouragement. Many read them and are more worried about their own lack of faith or the power of Satan, the result does not build the church. I think the best 'end-time teaching' is a good study Bible, a shepherded and fellowshipping church, and a balanced pulpit. In Jesus. |
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617 | What is the point? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 1416 | ||
Good morning and good night, EveryHome :-) I am centrist in doctrine, in that I desire to be unaffected by the swinging, swaying and bobbing of the 'plumb bob.' I am centralist in that I believe that all authority should rest on one Entity, Jesus Christ. I don't want to be 'of Apollos' or 'of Paul,' (or of Arminus, Calvin, the Pope, etc.) but of Jesus Christ. A thought (with a touch of irony): "...the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Acts 11:26 Could it be that the belivers in Antioch were the first to be free from denominationalism? You know, the 'Reformed Pharisees Fellowship,' the 'Church of the Circumcision Plus,' the 'Resurrection Sadducees,' and the 'First Temple of the Forgiven Tax-men' factions that were popular in Jerusalem. I agree with you that evangelism is paramount. Preaching the Good News to all the earth is a command to all believers, and leading the church to live the Good News is the responsibility of those called to serve as ministers. This would include the 'enlightened' U.S.A. Many 'enlightened' missionaries are more worried about making disciples of their thinking than disciples of Christ. Here is where we can be strengthened against the 'wiles of the devil.' Preaching Jesus, rather than doctrine, we will not be overcome by Satan. In Christ Jesus. |
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618 | Why do we disagree? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 2022 | ||
Dear wdc, I'm not so sure I agree with you on that! ;-) In Jesus, charis | ||||||
619 | Why do we disagree? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 2024 | ||
Dear wdc, Don't give up hoping! As one who (also) has had to scrap an awful lot of 'baggage' (still more to go!), I firmly believe that it is not only possible, but probable that we will find unity as we come closer to the return of our Lord. Even this forum has helped me to learn about discussion and disagreement without bigotry. I never had the opportunity to have faith as a child, I found Jesus for the first time at the age of 25. Even so, the faith that was poured upon me from heaven was wrapped in a fleshly package of opinion, tradition, and prejudice. Several years ago I realized (the Spirit revealed) that the 'package' wasn't going to pass through the 'narrow gate.' Nobody's 'package' will! Not one denomination will be represented in the presence of a holy God. I firmly believe that Joel tells us that the Spirit will reveal this truth to all believers. Some will accept it and repent, and others will not accept it, and the divisions will become so profound that they will be absurd. The details of the manner of this restoration are hidden, and obviously no human power, system, or organization can claim it as their own. The Holy Spirit will do it! I await eagerly His return, and in the meantime attempt (feebly and humbly) to serve Him and obey Him. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15 NASB. I do not believe these commandments are rules, laws, or even complicated 'man-written' creeds. They are the truth and the wisdom of God. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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620 | Why do we disagree? | 1 Thessalonians | charis | 2027 | ||
Dear wdc, Gomen nasai! (sorry about that!) It was a feeble attempt at humor. I am prone to these fits :-) Actually, I agree that we agree on why we disagee. (your turn, ad infinitum) Blessings and love in Christ Jesus, charis |
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