Results 61 - 80 of 495
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Results from: Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
61 | accepting a non-beleiver | John 6:44 | Aixen7z4 | 150202 | ||
It may well be that a person can be won to the Lord by philosophical argumentation. Some of our brothers (Josh McDowell, et al.) seem to specialize in that approach. But I think there is something to be said for using the pure word of God. We can trust in the power of the word, I think, and use it. It is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4). I heard a story once, of an atheist who turned to the Lord as he was presented with a single sentence from Scripture. He had said, “I don’t believe in God”. His friend replied, “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God’”. That word, from Psalm 14, touched that man and turned him around. I heard a preacher say that he himself had been won to the Lord by a single phrase: “that Jesus Christ is Lord”. That word, from Philippians 2, gnawed at him night and day, until he confessed it, and claimed Jesus as his Savior. I am not sure what happens when a person is convinced by reason. But when we “receive with meekness the engrafted word”, it is able to save our souls. |
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62 | Can anyone tell how he understand that? | John 6:54 | Aixen7z4 | 150198 | ||
It is one of the “hard sayings” of Jesus. It means we have eternal life when we trust only in the fact his body was broken and his blood was shed for us. Many of his disciples, when they had heard it, said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” Jesus was aware that they were having difficulty with it and yet, he did not explain it. Instead, he repeated it, insisting that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood. If you read the entire story in John chapter 6, it may seem that Jesus made the statements more and more complicated. First he had said we should believe on him. God had decided that “everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life” (verse 40). That seems simple enough. But the people had difficulty with that, because he said he had come from heaven. Then Jesus said that anyone who is listening to God would know that they should come to him (verse 45). God had been talking to them and his ultimate message was that they should believe on Jesus. That was God’s message to them when he gave them manna in the wilderness. Then he said he was the bread of life. Just as God had given them natural bread to sustain their physical life, he had given them a spiritual bread which, if they ate it, they would have eternal life. Then he said he was that bread (verse 48). They were mystified. Still he was saying what they needed to do was to believe on him, and trust him (verse 47). He would give his body to be crucified, and that was the means by which they would have access to eternal life. Yet the people did not understand. They were asking, “How can this be?” Then Jesus said they must eat his flesh, etc. (verse 53). Do you see how the simple matter becomes more complicated with each additional piece of information that Jesus gives? The disciples simply believed on Jesus (verse 69) although they did not fully understand his words. Later they would say, "At last you are speaking plainly, and not in parables. Now we understand that you know everything and don't need anyone to ask you anything. From this (what you have just said) we believe that you came from God" (John 16). From this we learn that we should believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will understand the “hard” things later. There are many things that Jesus said, that the people found it hard to understand. One of the most famous ones is the fact we must be born again (John 3). The man asked, “How can these things be?” Jesus said those were the simple things. If we could not understand those how could we understand the more complicated things? He would say, (John 16): “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth”. The words that Jesus spoke are spirit (John 6:63), and only the Holy Spirit can help us to understand them (1 Corinthians 2). And yet they seem so simple! After all these words, (including those of my brother, who answered you minutes before I did) I trust the Holy Spirit will help you to understand. We eat his flesh and drink his blood when we believe that his body was broken and his blood was shed for us. |
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63 | A fresh mental and spiritual attitude? | Eph 4:23 | Aixen7z4 | 150136 | ||
It would be nice to say it is your brethren who are waiting to hear some scripture to support the idea of a holy spirit. That would be to say that the burden of proof rests with the proponent of the idea. But we have understood all along that being filled with the Holy Spirit means being filled with “the Spirit of God” (as in 1 Corinthians 12). We understand from a passage like that, that he is otherwise called the Holy Ghost (v. 3). We have understood that the same Spirit (v. 4) is Lord (v. 5). Moreover, we have understood that the Holy Spirit is working in us (v. 6). We have understood that he gives gifts to individuals in the church (vv. 7 and 11). He gives these gifted men to the church (Ephesians 4) so that all can profit from their ministry, as we read again in 1 Corinthians 12:7. It is apparent that the brethren are not ready to receive any information suggesting that the Holy Spirit is other than a person, one of the three in the Godhead. They do not believe that any such information exists in scripture. The Holy Spirit gives specific gifts, and he produces certain fruit (Galatians 6). We understand that he works in us to produce the desire (Philippians 2), and the ability (Zechariah 4) and the actual operations (1 Corinthians 12) and fruit (John 15). But we do not read anywhere that he gives anything called “holy spirit”. Above, this writer had to be careful to not say, “It is he …” because someone would think he was referring to the Holy Spirit as an “It”. He had to make sure he did not say “…anything other than a person …” so that no one would think he was referring to the Holy Spirit as a “thing”. We are very sensitive to the fact the Holy Spirit is a person. The conventions of the English language would allow us to say those things, but we are careful not to give a wrong impression. We understand that God can and does give a spirit, for example, a spirit of wisdom (Exodus 28). He may give, through the Holy Spirit, a fullness “in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship (Exodus 35). He may give a spirit of a spirit of judgment (Isaiah 28); even a spirit of deep sleep (Isaiah 29). But none of these things is referred to as a “holy spirit”. Peter tells us (Chapter 3) that we should have a meek and quiet spirit. But that is not referred to as a “holy spirit”. Jesus, being always full of the Holy Spirit (John 3) always had all of the gifts. Isaiah said of him (chapter 11), that there would come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and as a branch out of his roots. The Spirit of Jehovah would rest on Him; and he would have “the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah”. But even when those were put together, they are not said to constitute a “holy spirit”. It never was said in scripture that that Jesus had a holy spirit. Now, there is a spirit in man, “the candle of the LORD” (Proverbs 20:27) and it is through that spirit that a man knows what is in his mind. And the Spirit of God knows what is in God’s mind. He reveals God’s mind to us (1 Corinthians 1). And he witnesses with our spirits, telling us, for example, that we are the children of God (Romans 8). He is the one who tells us what the word of God means. It is interesting that this thread begins to suggest we can have a kind of mind, as in Ephesians 2:23, an attitude that might, apparently, take the place of the active ministry of the Holy Spirit in filling us. There is such an attitude: “Let this mind be in you” (Philippians 2). And yet, that attitude, of humility, only allows us to yield to the Holy Spirit, so he can fill us and work in us. It is apparent that it is the Holy Spirit who provides that attitude (v.13). But we can resist him (Acts 7:51). But we are encouraged to allow him to fill us. And he can do that, because he is God, and like the Father (1 Corinthians 15:58) and like the Son (Ephesians 1:23) he can fill all in all. It is not only a mental and spiritual attitude we need, though those may be prerequisites. We need the Holy Spirit himself to fill us. As for a holy spirit, we have never heard of a holy spirit. We know that angels are spirits (Hebrews 4) and they may be holy (Matthew 25, Revelation 14). But that is another subject. We have no information about being filled with something called holy spirit. Having searched the scripture in vain for it, we should be on guard, and fortify the brethren so they can resist the idea. We should discourage anyone from taking on a burden of proof, as it were, in order to try to import that doctrine into the faith. |
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64 | 5 ways Joseph was like Jesus | 2 Tim 2:15 | Aixen7z4 | 150051 | ||
Still, I can't help thinking we do need some kind of protection from people like that. It may be that monitors are still not a good idea but ... | ||||||
65 | When God Sings | Zeph 3:17 | Aixen7z4 | 149890 | ||
That is so beautiful, I fear I will spoil it by trying to add to it. The Lord will call on his speople to sing (v. 14). He will also sing to his people? I wonder when that will be. But would you not say there are other times when God has sung? What do we have in Isaiah 5? It may not be the happiest of songs, but it is a love song, I think, from God, to his Son, about his people. Some say that God dictated it, and it was the prophet who sang it. What do you say? In Deuteronomy 31 God gave them a song to sing. "Write ye this song for you", he says, "and teach it the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths". The Psalms are songs, and we may think of some of them (Psalm 22, Psalm 40, Psalm 69) as Jesus' songs. The Song of Solomon also has a part for the bridegroom. Is he simply Solomon, and not also the King of kings, and the church's bridegroom? Is he not there singing to her? In Psalm 22, he promised tha the would sing with us, and in Hebrews 2, it seems that he fulfills it. He is not ashamed to call us brethren. He says, "I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto you". When we gather in his name, and he is with us, and we are singing praise to God, is he not singing with us? I worry sometimes when we put words into God's mouth in song. ("My life was given for thee ... What hast thou given to me?") But there are so many songs we sing to God. It is good to see that he will also sing to us. |
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66 | 1 Thess. 5:17 | Jer 29:12 | Aixen7z4 | 149847 | ||
I was pleased to read Piper’s paper. He seemed to be saying what I understand: that we can only exercise faith in what God has said. We cannot believe God about anything God has not said. When we have not seen the mind of God on a subject, when he has not revealed it in Scripture, then the word Faith does not apply. God must speak first, and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10). But God has spoken (Hebrews 1) and we need to find, in Scripture, what he has said. I was surprised, and disappointed, when he added “when Scripture does not give a promise that a particular blessing will definitely be given in answer to prayer, God may make known in some other way that He intends to give the blessing”. He does say that he is adding that “with some hesitancy”, and that is understandable. The reason is not; it is because he has never experienced it. He says, “God has never communicated to me what He intends to do any other way than by the Scripture”. Here we have the familiar and dangerous error of exalting “experience” (even possible, potential experience) to the level of Scripture, and I think it is most unfortunate. He should have decided to refrain from saying those things. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God (John 3). We should be guided by the Spirit, and he does not speak of himself; but whatsoever he hears, that’s what he speaks (John 16). It is important that we “learn not to think beyond the things which are written” (1 Corinthians 4). I appreciate the reminder, that our prayers should be for that which brings glory to the Lord. One might even say that we should bring him glory with our lives, and our worship, and our thanksgiving, even before we bring our supplications. Whatever he shows us his will is, we should pray as Jesus did (John 12:28): "Father, Glorify your name". |
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67 | 1 Thess. 5:17 | Jer 29:12 | Aixen7z4 | 149838 | ||
This is a good opportunity for us to understand what preachers mean when they say that God always answers our prayers but sometimes the answer is No. How do we know when the answer is No? And for those who say that another answer is “Wait” one might ask how we can determine which one it is. I think we must acknowledge that there are times when God does not even hear our prayers. There are also times when he does not answer. Moses (Deuteronomy 3) refers to a time when “the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me”. I take that to mean the Lord would not listen, and would not even consider the request. Samuel described a condition under which “You shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day” (1 Samuel 8). Job cried in despair, “I cry unto you, and you do not hear me: I stand up, and you regard me not" (Job 30). David knew it: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66). When prayers are not answered, God says that is one of the reasons (Isaiah 59): “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear". David prayed, “O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear” (Psalm 22). Isaiah reports the Lord saying, “When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear" (Isaiah 1). The Lord told Jeremiah (chapter 7), “Do not pray for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear you”. These examples should suffice to show there are times when God does not even listen to our prayers, not even to consider our requests. But there are also times when he listens but does not answer. Jesus did it. A woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil”. But he answered her not a word (Matthew 15). He indicated that there are times, as then, when God will not answer right away, but only after he has seen our importunity (Luke 18). It is one of the reasons we should keep on asking, when we know that our prayers are according to his will. He will answer when he knows the time is right. It’s what he did with the slaves in Egypt. He had heard their cry. Eventually he responded by coming down to deliver them (Exodus 3). There are some times when God says, “Wait”. It is what he said to Habakkuk. When the prophet complained, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! … and you will not save!” the Lord said, “I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you” (Chapter 1). But he does not leave us to interpret silence as a "No", or even as a “Wait”. The prophet decided to wait for an answer, and he got it. “The LORD answered me, and said, ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it. … Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come’” (chapter 2). “Wait” is something that he says sometimes, even when we have not prayed. But again, he says it, and he does not leave us to infer it from his silence. The fact is, many of our prayers are already answered, and we need only to find it. That is the case with questions we may ask the Lord. The answers are in the word of God. But when we ask for things, we need not invent answers or assume that God is saying “No” or “Wait”. Ordinarily, an answer means we get what we have requested. Instead of saying “No” it is God’s way to show us his will instead, so we can pray for it and get it. That is what he did for Paul (2 Corinthians 12). That is what he did for Jesus (Luke 22:42,42; Hebrews 5:7). May God help us to understand his will and to pray in accordance with it. Then we will have our prayers answered. |
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68 | Avoid Curtis Neeley's web site!!!!! | Rom 14:14 | Aixen7z4 | 149646 | ||
I think everyone agrees it is not good for someone to receive or place enticements into pornography, especially at a Christian space such as this forum. What you might consider is the possibility that the information you provided might have served, unintentionally, to spark an interest in that type of material, and might have actually enabled a reader to locate it. Thus, in an attempt to dissuade him, you may have actually enabled him to find the material. As you said, “One or two that might go to (that) web site and get hooked …”. Clearly, you did not initiate the topic. You were responding to the fact something had been posted that was undesirable, and potentially harmful. The intent was good. But some of us think it would have been better if you had mentioned the infraction without giving any particulars about it. Better yet, the forum could have been managed in such a way that the material could be intercepted and not allowed to appear on the forum in the first place. Otherwise, it could have been erased. As you said, “(The) note with the web site address needs to be removed”. But that would require the recognition and empowering of monitors. Unfortunately, (In the opinion of some of us, it is unfortunate) the idea has not been accepted by those who run this site. Apparently, the remedy is to act, not against undesirable material, but against users who persist in violating the guidelines of the forum. Meanwhile, it is possible that some irreparable harm has been done. I think the person who did the posting should be admonished (with passages such as Romans 14:21) to not impose his views on what is acceptable, and in a sense the actual materials, on the rest of us. He should have been made aware that he might be inducing some weak ones to sin. Unfortunately, some of us do not listen, and we must be left alone (Hosea 4:17) but some of our postings need to be edited or erased (as in 1 Corinthians 5:7). But as it is, they are allowed to stand, apparently. It is possible that some posters realize this and use the opportunity to do their mischief. The suggestion to you is that you may have been an unwitting aide in the scheme. Just think about it. We could have discussed the matter without giving cues that might have led someone to view the material in question. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. |
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69 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | Aixen7z4 | 149445 | ||
In all of this maze, this post stands out, and this question: “Is it worth being burned at the stake …?” The question as to whether denominations should exist is a troublesome thing, especially considering the very low probability that anyone can persuade the church that denominations should cease to exist. And then, there is this verse in 1 Corinthians 11: “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (v. 19). “Factions have to exist in order to make it clear who the genuine believers among you are”. (???) (GW). The question for me is whether Paul is being straightforward here, or sarcastic. After all, this is the letter in which he had said there should be no divisions (1 Corinthians 1:10) and he would say there should be no schism in the body (1 Corinthians 12:25). But it is also the one in which he had said to the saints in that poor, weak, immature church: “Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you (1 Corinthians 4:8). Now is he saying that divisions in the church are an opportunity to show who is right and who is wrong? Some may even wrest a verse from 1 John to say that anyone who leaves their sect is wrong. “They went out from us, but they were not of us”. It is almost like not belonging to them is the same as not belonging to Christ. But now come this question, and this statement: “Is it worth being burned at the stake?” and “the much more Christian behavior is … to part company…”. What a choice! Is it not truly sad that the church has come to this, to a choice between parting company and being burned at the stake? We are repeating all the mistakes of the church in the Old Testament when the name of the Lord was being profaned among the heathen because of the behavior of his people. It is the same again today. Brethren persecute each other and part from each other, and new religions arise because the heathen cannot believe that our behavior was learned from the true God. Yet the Lord says, “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD”, saith the Lord God, “when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23). And Jesus says, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). It is amazing to me how God can do those things. The church, with all its denominations, is seemingly in a poor condition. Someone was heard to say in church he did not know how we could have the nerve to go preach to the world. And yet, I saw that same man respond to an invitation to be saved. We still bring the Gospel. And God is still bringing people to himself. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Our God is awesome. |
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70 | Was Jesus Rich? | Is 53:2 | Aixen7z4 | 149440 | ||
Jesus was not rich. In fact, he was poor. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8:9, notes that Jesus gave up his riches and became poor, for our sakes. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”. When was Jesus rich? And in what way? The fact is, Jesus is God. He made everything, and in that sense, everything belongs to him. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16). He says, “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). He says, “the world is mine, and the fulness thereof” (v.11). Again, the psalmist says, “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). When Jesus lived on this earth, he had nothing. He was born in a manger, in a stable (Luke 2). He had no home of his own (Matthew 8:20). He had made everything (John 1:2) and given it to us (Acts 17:25). Yet, when he was here, he was hungry and thirsty, and needed people to give him things (Mark 15:41, John 4:7). Still, he said he said he had not come to get, but to give what he had (Matthew 20:28). Specifically, he had come to give his life (Mark 10:45). One can only imagine the reason for the question, as there are people who claim to be servants of Jesus and seek to justify their desire for riches. That is curious, in light of Jesus’ statement that we should sell what we have and give to the poor as we come to follow him (Luke 12:33, etc). He said that we should lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth (Matthew 6:20). Paul warns us about wanting to be rich, saying that those who pursue riches pierce themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10). We should want to be like Jesus. “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord” (Matthew 10:25). If we want to be like Jesus, we should “set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). Jesus advises us to get “true riches” (Revelation 3:18). We should be rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:18). Forget about getting rich the way the world does, ‘cause those things do not last (1 John 2:17). Jesus became poor, so that we might become rich, in good works. |
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71 | Sermon will be taught on thi answer | Matthew | Aixen7z4 | 147902 | ||
Your audience may not have been thrilled if you told them this, but loving God means obeying him. As to doing it with all the heart and soul and mind, you would have needed the Holy Spirit to bring them to that. If it is true that we resent having to obey the Lord, then we are a long way from doing so with everything we have. But the love of Christ constrains us, and we love him because he first loved us. We find that his commandments are not grievous; they are actually good for us. And so, in loving God, we love ourselves, including our neighbors. And we must love our neighbor in order to love God, ‘cause we do not see God, but we see our neighbor. All of this we learn from his word, for he who asked us to love him told us how it is done. They that love me … keep my commandments (Exodus 20:6, Deuteronomy 5:10; 7:9). Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always (Deuteronomy 11:1). You shall hearken diligently unto his commandments which he commands you, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 11:13,22). You shall keep all the commandments to do them, which he commands you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways (Deuteronomy 19:9). He commands you to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments (Deuteronomy 30:16). Take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul (Joshua 22:5). Those who love him observe his commandments (Nehemiah 1:5). David (as we suppose he wrote this psalm) delighted himself in the Lord, and in his commandments, which he loved (Psalm 119:47, 48). He loved God’s commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. (v.127). And Daniel (9:4) loved the great and dreadful God who responds in mercy toward those who show love to him by keeping his commandments. Jesus loved him and did always those things that pleased him (John 8:29). In order that the world might know that he loved the Father; and as the Father had given him commandment, including the one that he die for us (John 10:18) even so he did (John 14:31). Jesus said, (John 14:15) “If you love me, keep my commandments”. “He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me ” (John 14:21). He said, “If If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love (John 15:10). John says, “When we love God, (we) keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments (1 John 5:2,3) and again, “This is love, that we walk after his commandments” (2 John 1:6). Again, it seems hard to make all this attractive and appealing, but that is what God says, and for those who understand it, it is good. If we love him, we will do what makes him happy. And he is happy when we obey him. He takes great delight in the fact that we obey the voice of the LORD (1 Samuel 15:22). When we obey God with all our heart, then we have peace like a river, and righteousness as the waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:18). But it is hard to believe that, and so we hesitate. It is like a waiting to jump in. It is only after we have done it, and waited a while, that we find God’s word is true in our experience. It might help to remind ourselves how much he loved us. Greater love has no man than this: He gave himself for us. And again, we love him because he first loved us. |
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72 | Pattern of words? | Luke 11:13 | Aixen7z4 | 147876 | ||
Brother ray: I do believe it is context and not capitalization that enables us to understand what the Lord is saying to us in his word. I do believe you understand that I am addressing you here, and not a ray of light. Nor did I make a typo. I do feel free to ignore the rules made by man, except when they are helpful, as in communication. It is clear to me that we miss the point when we put an individual word under the microscope and lose sight of the other words around it, that give it meaning. We need to read the entire passage, and other passages on the same subject in other parts of the word of God. The Holy Spirit is a person, and he inhabits our bodies and fills us from time to time when he wants and as we are available. There are some who believe and teach that the Holy Spirit is not a person at all, but a certain influence. They may be happy to see the term “holy spirit” because the lack of capitals would support the idea that he is not a person. Those of us who believe he is a person may struggle with the idea that he can inhabit our bodies or fill our minds. We may wonder at the fact one person can inhabit another, but that is the way it is. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). “the Spirit of truth … he dwells with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17)”. We are indwelt not only by the Holy Spirit, but also by the Father and the Son. Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). This is a mystery. Even the mystery which had been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26,27). But it is the truth. What we have within us is not an idea or an influence, but a person. We cannot tell by capitalization. Different translations do and do not capitalize those words. I imagine that the New World Translation would have “the holy spirit” everywhere. But all of Scripture assures us it is hot holy spirit that we have but the Holy Spirit. He indwells us and fills us himself. But language is funny, isn’t it? When Jesus said, “It is I” (Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; Luke 24:39; John 6:20) he was not indicating that he was other than a person. It’s just the way that language works. Words are important, but only as they serve to convey meaning. We should not worry about individual words but accept them in their context and understand the ideas and concepts they were meant to convey. The Holy Spirit is the one who directed the writing of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21, etc.), and though he is not the main subject (Jesus is (John 5:39)) he does reveal some things about himself (Genesis 1:2, etc.). He is God (Genesis 1; Acts 5: 3,4, etc.). He indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16, etc.). He fills us (Luke 1, Acts 2, Ephesians 3). He helps us to understand God’s word (1 Corinthians 2:10, etc.). He enables us to do God’s will (Zechariah 4:6). And I trust he is the one reminding me of these things and directing me to write this (Matthew 10:20). Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. |
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73 | Pattern of words? | Luke 11:13 | Aixen7z4 | 147829 | ||
It is my understanding that the Holy Spirit is the active agent in our lives. He is not a thing, but a person, one of the three that are known to us as God. He lives within us. He fills us, by himself, with himself, with what we need for our spiritual life, and for each spiritual task. Our job is to allow him to fill us and to use us. As he moves us, we are to let him have his way. So, we are to let the peace of God rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15) and let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16) and let the brother of low degree rejoice (James 1:9). So “Be filled with the Spirit” means “Let the Spirit (Let God the Holy Spirit) fill you”. He wants to fill us repeatedly and often so that the thing he fills us with becomes a spirit and a characteristic in our lives, be it power, love, or what not. We need these things first to be the people of God and then to be known and to function as such. Meanwhile, it is God who is working in us both to will and to do these things (Philippians 2:13). |
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74 | Jesus wept !... did Jesus ever laugh? | Luke 10:21 | Aixen7z4 | 147434 | ||
Hello Doc: It was mentioned, you know, two paragraphs from the end: "The Psalmist (Psalm 2) says that God will laugh later. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh at those who take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed". It seems, when we combine that with more of scripture, that it will be more of chuckle at their arrogance and less than a hearty laugh of pleasure. The message came: "‘As I live’, saith the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live’" (Ezekiel 33). But turning to Jesus again, It does seem that his life expressed both sorrow and joy. He was not as austere as John the Baptist. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners” (Matthew 11). He had a balanced life, but was apparently not known for giddy laughter. We should try to be like him, I think, and not try too hard to imagine that he was the average one of us. |
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75 | Women in Ministry | 1 Tim 2:12 | Aixen7z4 | 145880 | ||
Hello: I am very much impressed with your statements and questions. Rather than answering your questions, I would like to ask one of my own. Take it as a rhetorical question, if you will, and ponder it. The church has been on earth for thousands of years. With that in mind, des it not seem strange to you that we are still wrestling with that type of question? As human beings, and Christians, we have been male and female all along. Have we not known how we are to relate to each other? And yet it seems to me we are developing more questions, and creating more confusion, as time goes on. We are less and less sure how to relate to each other. In addition to the two passages you have mentioned, I would like to suggest 1 Corinthians 11. There we are told that even nature teaches us some proper roles for men and women. Our consciences can teach us too (Romans 1). But it is clear that we can know some things and yet refuse to allow that knowledge to guide our actions. More than that, we seem to have the capacity and the freedom not only to defy God, but also to urge others to do the same (Matthew 5:19). It seems to me that the teaching of Scripture is quite clear. But there are some among us who will try to use Scripture to question the idea of women joining in with congregational singing. And there are others who will find a way to justify placing a woman at the head of the local church. My point here is that the world and the church have been here for a long time, and we might have learned by now what the proper roles of men and women are, in the home and in the church. And perhaps, somewhere in our hearts and in our consciences, we do know these things. But we are getting further and further away from them. It is symptomatic of the state of the church, I think, because the role of the woman is not the only truth being questioned, not the only areas where we are straying. Let me encourage you if I may, by letting you know there are still assemblies where these things are not in question. True, in some places they are few and hard to find, but they are still with us. As in times past, God suffers all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he does not leave himself without witness. He still does good, and gives us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14). Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant that is faithful to God‘s word. I think it is not proper or allowable for us to recommend churches on this forum. But if you are led to write to me personally and tell me where you live, I may be able to direct you to an assembly that follows the word of God on this issue. Let me also suggest that it is context and not culture that helps us to know the meaning of Scripture. You seem to know your Bible well, and if you will ponder all of the passages you have referenced here, I do believe the meaning will be clear. You and your husband have questions, not because the passages are difficult, but because you are quite aware of what the churches are doing, and you would like to think they may be correct. But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. But I am wondering why you ask the questions. Is it of academic interest only, or are you reconsidering your present role, or considering some other role for yourself. Your questions suggest you know a lot, and I’d encourage you to practice what you know. Consider what I say; and the Lord give you understanding in all things. |
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76 | How does this verse apply to today? | James 1:13 | Aixen7z4 | 145584 | ||
Hello, Doc. I agree entirely that God is glorified in our trials, or can be. The fact that we are able to bear them is a tribute to him, and a measure of the grace we receive from him (2 Corinthians 12). Yet I wonder if he is glorified when we chafe at our trials, and complain. He says we should do all things without murmuring (Philippians 2) and therefore, I think that our complaining does not glorify him. Yet I note that Job complained, and so did David, and Jeremiah. It is perhaps in their complaining that we find the weight of their burdens and the soreness of their trials. But the Lord responds to Job with a question: “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” and he learned, and we can learn from that. We can learn from David to hope in God, and from Jeremiah that his mercies are new every morning. When God says, “Return to me and I will return to you” (Jeremiah 15) he seems to be saying again that his grace is sufficient. If we can look at these men and learn, then it may be you say, that others can look at us as well, and see that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. Like our good works (Matthew 5), our patient endurance of suffering may cause men to glorify God. And we glorify him ourselves. If any of us suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God because of it (1 Peter 4). In the end, our golden faith will bring him praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. But the trials we face are to test not our lives but our faith, and our hearts. They show how much genuine faith we have and they serve to strengthen it. God tests our hearts to see if we love him enough to obey him. And we are grateful for that. Indeed, we invite it. Like the Psalmist we say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. We love him with all our hearts, to the extent that we know our hearts, and if our trials reveal anything less, we pray, “More love, O Christ to thee”. We may even sing, in the words of Elizabeth Prentiss: Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain; Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain, When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee; More love to Thee, more love to Thee! |
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77 | A Fear of the Lord encompasses what? | Prov 22:4 | Aixen7z4 | 145568 | ||
That is good. So many of us act on our emotions without thinking, and we may find out afterwards that we have sinned. And it is still true that the payment for sin is death. There is that consequence attached to it (Romans 6). We are thankful that there is no hell, no eternal bad consequence, for us who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8). That is what the Lord calls the second death (Revelation 21). But there is a death that we experience while living, when the soul shrivels up and withers and dies (Romans 8). It is a temporary separation from fellowship with God (1 Timothy 5). We are thankful those who die can live again, and those who are separated from God can return to him. This is what we experienced when we were born again; we died and rose again in him. And he constantly calls on his children to come back. He says we should draw near to him and he will draw near to us (James 4). To be near to him is life (Psalm 16). To be away from him is death (Romans 8). There is a sense in which we are never separated from him because he never leaves us not forsakes us. His Spirit is in us. But we can quench and grieve the Spirit by willful sinning to the point that he is passive and not striving with us. Our fellowship with God is broken, and for a time he seems to cease to speak to us (Psalm 22,28). The child of God senses that and grieves about it, and that godly sorrow leads to repentance and restoration to fellowship with God. And we are never separated from the love of God (Romans 8). As the father for the prodigal son, our Father longs to have us back, and there is joy in heaven over one who repents. But it is good to hear him say too, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine”; it is good also to never stray from him. Doubtless will slip from time to time and fall. But with the help of the Spirit we are aware of it and we repent immediately and turn back. We cannot seek the pleasures of sin and fellowship with God at the same time. We respect him too much to try to bring sin into his presence. He is holy and he requires us to be holy. And he provides the means, the blood, to keep us so. The cross of Christ reminds us how seriously God takes the fact of sin. He turned away from Jesus when he took our sin, and he poured his judgment upon him. His holiness and his justice both required that. So I agree with you, my friend. The fear of the Lord will cause us all to stay away from sin. |
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78 | How does this verse apply to today? | James 1:13 | Aixen7z4 | 145559 | ||
We may say that in some ways tempting and testing are opposites. Satan tempts people in order to entice them to sin’ to try to get them to sin. God tests us so that he and we can see what we are made of. The purpose of temptation is our downfall. The purpose of testing is to reassure us that we stand by faith, and to encourage us to continue. Satan tempted Eve (Genesis 3). God tested Abraham (Genesis 22). Satan tempted David (1 Chronicles 21) and God tested Job. We may see the hand of both God and Satan in these latter cases and note how God’s and Satan’s aims were different. Satan tempted Job to curse God to his face. God tested him so that he might come forth as gold. Satan tempts us to do evil (Matthew 4). God never tempts us to do evil (James 1). Satan promises us easy times if only we will serve him. God tests us by allowing us to go through tough times so we can know whether our faith is genuine (1 Peter 1). In some places, in some translations of the Bible, the words for tempting and testing may be used interchangeably, and we will need to examine the process and the results. We need to see from the context whether the initiator is God or Satan. Their intentions toward us are always quite different. Satan wants us to do evil and to fall. God wants us to stand and be strong. Therefore, in every circumstance, we must resist the devil and submit ourselves to God (James 4). |
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79 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | Aixen7z4 | 145434 | ||
I am almost certain that I understand your point. A life of sin after salvation is an anomaly, and those who lead it should be worried. They should ask themselves whether they are really saved. In fact, we would all do well to ask ourselves that. But having asked the question, and having examined ourselves, we should know without question whether or not we are saved. One might well say that we should not rest until we have a clear answer. If we are not saved, we should fly to the Lord immediately and receive his grace. But once we have received his salvation, we should go on from there, or in it, with confidence. The confidence that we have is not in ourselves but in God, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. To say that I am saved is to say that Jesus has saved me. To say that I will never be lost is to say that Jesus will keep me. I know that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Then do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. Those who live a life of sin cannot be confident in their salvation. Scripture is rather rough on them. Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and we walk in darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth. It is clear that we can lie to ourselves. For example, he that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now. But the New Testament letters, written to Christians, tell us that a saved person does not automatically do right. He may need correction. He needs information, even about himself, before he can respond. When he knows who he is (and again, he needs to be made aware) he may respond to the challenge to live up to it. Salvation is cast in various terms: Forgiveness of sins. Escape from eternal punishment. Reconciliation to God. Repentance. Faith. Passage from death to life. A new nature. A new believer may be aware of one of these and not the others. Again, we need to be taught, and the New Testament letters teach us. We are not only forgiven, we are dead to sin. We have not only escaped the dominion of Satan, we have become sons of God. We are no longer slaves to sin, we are servants of righteousness. Knowledge of these things will help us to live in the light of them. When we see the sad strange life of people professing to be saved and practicing sin, we may not know the reason for the incongruity. Perhaps they lack salvation. Perhaps they lack knowledge. Perhaps they lack the help they need. I would suggest that we offer them the Gospel, information about the nature of the child of God, assistance in making necessary changes, and see how they respond. Chances are that the person claiming to be saved will respond positively, in some cases showing a desire to be saved, in other cases responding to the challenge to be true to his Christlike nature. They may even show repentance and a readiness to accept help. If they reject all such overtures, they may leave us wondering if they are saved or even want to be. The question for me is: How do you get to those people? Likely, it is not by criticizing them or condemning them. More likely, it is by presenting the truth and the challenge. The question is one of practicality. Where do you meet these people? And how do you get to talk to them? Neither the structure of the church nor its meetings, nor the ecclesiastical media, nor the mass media, seems to allow it. So I am left with a quandary. It is clear to me that we need to get the Gospel to the people in church, to help them to clarify their relationship to God, and to challenge and assist them to live as children of God. But the means by which that can be done I do not have. It might be good for us to devote some effort to discovering or revealing those. |
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80 | What does heaven look like? | 1 Cor 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 145185 | ||
"Heaven is where God is". Yes! John heard a great voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God". We usesd to sing, "Where Jesus is, 'tis heaven there" and it seems appropriate, because he said, "I go and prepare a place for you, (and) I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also". Whereas some say that hell is here, we may counter that heaven is here as well, because Jesus is with us, and in us. See Luke 17:21. I trust those who read this are his and that you find a heaven in his presence, as in Psalm 16:11, for in his presence is fulness of joy; at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore. We may describe heaven by listing what and who will be there, primarily Jesus. We may aslo describe it by listing what and who will not be there: No sin, no sorrow, no pain, no death; but primarily, no devil. Amen. |
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