Results 801 - 820 of 975
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
801 | Could Jesus have sinned? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 98870 | ||
Jesus could not have sinned. He is perfect. Hebrews 7:26 says he is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. 2Co 5:21 says he knew no sin. He did not know how to sin. It was foreign to his nature. 1Jo 3:5 says that in him is no sin. It is not in him to sin. We sin because we are sinners. In Mark 7:21 Jesus says himself that it is from within, out of the hearts of men, that we produce evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. "All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." These things are in us and temptation draws them out. There is no such thing in Jesus. He is not a sinner. Jesus is God. And according to 1Jo 1:5, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. James says (1:13) that God cannot be tempted with evil. Since Jesus is God, he cannot go against God, for that would be to go against himself. It is a logical and moral impossibility. Jesus was tested the way gold is tested, as in a fire (as in 1Pe 1:7) to prove that it is gold. His temptation, in all points proved, that he is completely pure. His temptation was as real and as intense as Nebuchadnezzar’s burning fiery furnace in Daniel 3. He went through both of them and came out without a singe. That’s because he is the Son of God. We must anticipate now that some will come to say if the possibility of sin was not there then the temptation was not real. Let us try to preempt that now by saying here that Jesus’ temptation was a testing, as in a fire, to prove what he was made of. It was not a drawing away or an enticement, as James describes temptation to sin (James 1 :14). Jesus is God, and God is not tempted with evil (verse 13). If Jesus could have sinned he could not be our Savior then or our High Priest now. But, thanks be to God, we have a high priest which was in all points tempted like as we are, and proven. He is without sin. |
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802 | Please I need an answer to this | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 98863 | ||
It is hard to know what answer you are seeking. In saying that he is uniquely qualified, you recognize that he is qualified as no one else is qualified. Since the passage refers to the reconciliation as being "to himself", logic would dictate that only he could do it. Scripture says elsewhere that there is no one else like him, pure spotless, undefiled, etc. There was no one else without sin, who could die for the sins of others. But only he could reconcile someone else "to himself". It is hard to believe that that is the answer you want. But the passage itself says: "all things were created ... for him". Since it was lost, someone was needed to restore it. But only he could restore it "to himself". One other point: he is the one who shed his blood. Does that qualify him? |
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803 | would this wine make a person drunk? | John 2:3 | Aixen7z4 | 98861 | ||
Please be careful that you are not about to be found accusing Jesus. Surely you do not think he would be doing something here that is prohibited elsewhere in the word of God. Say instead that this was a special wine, possibly different and better than any other ever made. This one had not been aged to make it alcoholic. It had been created on the spot so that the people would recognize him as the Creator. Joh 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. |
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804 | WILL YOU ADD TO, TAKE AWAY FROM, OR LEAV | 1 John 5:7 | Aixen7z4 | 98860 | ||
No insult intended, my friend, and no accusation; just a regret that you did not take the time to ponder the post. As I have indicated elsewhere, there seems to be no problem with the text in question when one considers the word of God as a whole; nothing has been violated. But whereas you think some may be risking damnation by accepting a translation with an omission, I think it is fair to ask you to consider that the Matthew 23 passage might apply. I think it simply says you may be focused on the wrong thing. The overall message, the need to obey it, and the need to preach the Gospel, may be more important than a comma, a semicolon, or even a single verse. | ||||||
805 | put 1Jn 5:7 BACK where it belongs! | 1 John 5:7 | Aixen7z4 | 98796 | ||
I am glad you said that, Brother Tim, because it gives us a chance again to look at the most important point. I did not mean to say that the text need not be literally perfect. I do not know if it can be. I am not even sure what "it" is, since we have several translations, and there are variations among the oldest copies. I think the originals were perfect and the copies and translations are not. Nevertheless, I think they have remained faithful and that together they hold and transmit the word of God. My statement was meant to communicate a thought on how we should spend our time, not on whether or not the available texts are perfect. I was suggesting that we need not spend so much of our time on finding the perfect translation or on ensuring that one that is nearly perfect be made completely so. I was suggesting that we spend a greater portion of our time on obeying the word and giving out the Gospel. Now, aren't you glad that I who, am the author of that statement, am here to tell you what I meant? And so it is with the word of God, I think. It is the Holy Spirit who lives in us who tells us what he meant, the mind of God, so to speak. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. The best way I know to understand the word of God is to let him speak and for me to listen. (Try it by clicking on http://www.hishows.bizland.com/meditation.html). And I have learned, when I give out the word of God, that it speaks to people beyond my ability to explain it. It is alive and powerful. It is the power of God, etc. Isn’t it good to remember that the Holy Spirit knows the heart of the man we are talking to and can use the word in our mouth to reach them? But he also shows us how to apply it to our own lives. And is that not what the word is for? If we can live by it and preach the Gospel part of it, I think the whole purpose is fulfilled. The purpose of the revelation is obedience (Deuteronomy 29:29). I read the word of God is with a minimum of human commentary. But I do use cross-referencing quite extensively. I am so glad for the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and other such tools that allow us to compare Scripture with Scripture. (Get it free at http://www.e-sword.net). In that way, when I am reading 1 John 5, even in a version where is no verse 7, I may read about the agreement among the Father, Son and Spirit, from some other passage. So it does not matter to me if someone added it there. |
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806 | put 1Jn 5:7 BACK where it belongs! | 1 John 5:7 | Aixen7z4 | 98742 | ||
Brother Tim: It is so good to have your input. And I do agree. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2Pe 1:21). We believe that the original writers wrote exactly what God wanted them to write, every word. But we do not have those original writings. What if the copiers here and there inserted something that they knew were elsewhere clearly stated in the original writings. Are they then adding to the word of God? I was struck to see that the movie JESUS, which is supposed to be based entirely on the record Luke wrote, begins with a quotation of John 3:16. Were they therefore adding something? I think not. Likewise, it seems to me, some copiers felt moved (not to say inspired) to add a word here and there, or to leave out one, in the interest of getting the pure message across. I am not supporting what they did, not am I accusing them. I am saying that is what they did. I say their job is difficult, and they apparently thought they were more than mere mechanical copiers. They seemed to see themselves as a part of the process of transmitting the word of God. The case for the translators seems even clearer to me. For what is translation? Is it not using words in one language to convey the thought expressed in another? Word for word does not do it. Try translating one sentence to another language and back again. Now if the translators claim to be translators and not copiers, they admit they may make mistakes. They may seek to keep in line by keeping in mind not only the passage they are working on but also all of Scripture. I am afraid I fail to see what harm is done if Scripture is added to Scripture. So enough of that from me. I agree with your last statement also, that the more one knows, the better one is equipped to act. The question seems to me how to divide the time between equipping and urging action. Should I wait until I have an entire Bible to give before giving the Gospel of John? Should we wait till we have a perfect church before reaching out to bring others in? Should we focus on achieving a perfect translation of the Bible while so many are waiting to hear the first verse? Even if John did not write what they said he wrote, I still rejoice that others wrote it. And now, it is time to propagate it. The fact that Paul plagiarizes Moses does not bother me, even if he fails to give credit. I thank God there is nothing contrary to the Bible in the Bible. It seems God did not give us any perfect translations; he gave us many translations so we can use them all and give the world the message. He did not give us any complete rendering of the life of Christ; he gave us four, and it seems he wants us to use them all and believe and preach the message. The fact that Luke says something because Matthew said it does not bother me. In fact, it reassures me as I give out the message. The big point seems to me to focus on the big picture, on the message of the entire Bible, rather than to focus on a few words here and there. If I understand the message, then I think I should give it, even if I use a hodgepodge from the various holy writers. The Holy Spirit seems to bring them all together to give one message to the hearer. This I say: The time is short. It remains therefore that we concentrate on giving out what we have received, not on making it literally perfect. |
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807 | put 1Jn 5:7 BACK where it belongs! | 1 John 5:7 | Aixen7z4 | 98734 | ||
I should have known that the response would have come quickly, before anyone would have had had a chance to ponder for a while the post to which he was responding. There is no indication that you even read the first passage quoted, even in your favorite version of the Bible. It seems you think that your eternal destiny rests on the fact you have discovered that most perfect version. Is that not worth thinking of, for a moment? What if you had lived in the time of Abraham when there was no written word? What if you were illiterate or less intelligent now and did not know which version was the best? We must be careful of bibliolotry and worship only the God of the Bible. I am happy these days to see someone simply reading the Gospel of John. If they never knew any more than that, they could have eternal life (John 3:16; John 20:31). If they obeyed the one commandment found there (John 13:34) I understand they would have kept the whole law (Romans 13:9). And love, my friend, is all important. Without it, knowledge only puffeth up (1 Corinthians 8:1). And when one is puffed up, one does not think clearly. He starts to think that he is a teacher and that everyone else is here to learn from him. Nor does he go into all the world to teach those who so need to learn. He withdraws into the cocoon with those who see every comma and semicolon where he sees it. In the will of God we have many brethren in the faith. Let us listen to them all. In the will of God we have many Bible translations. Let us use them all. Let us read Matthew 23 in all the versions, if only to make sure it is not addressed to us. But all of the Bible is addressed to us. Let us read it all. If we do, then I think we will not fret if one statement is not made here when it appears elsewhere. Above all, my friend, I wish you peace and assurance of salvation. A man who found a scrap of scripture in the gutter came to trust the Lord and went out to lead others to him. Like the woman at the well, he did not have all of the Bible and did not know what was missing. He thought he was overflowing. And we have so much! Let us not try to fill up our own store; it is not possible. Let us rather give out what we have, the word of faith, to others. |
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808 | BAPTISIM OF THE DEAD | NT general Archive 1 | Aixen7z4 | 98724 | ||
Dear charis: I admire you. I see that you gave this good answer and resisted getting involved in the long discussion that flows below. It helps me to understand the meaning of the little word "grace". I notice also that the original questioner has asked more than one provocative question and then declined to participate further. They might have returned to thank you for your answer, and I will leave space here for them to do that. As it is, we do not even know the person's name because they left no profile, and we certainly do not know the need or motive. May the Lord protect us from ourselves and from our love of discussion on things that do not edify. I myself am not sure what the word "edify" really means, but I do not think it means to be satisfied when a good point has been made. One can only hope that PYLE read your reply and then went on live well and to serve others and the Lord. |
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809 | put 1Jn 5:7 BACK where it belongs! | 1 John 5:7 | Aixen7z4 | 98705 | ||
I wonder what you think of "The Message" and the way it translates the word of God. See how they render Matthew 23:24. "Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?" I find it interesting to see how all of the translations tell us the message God has given. Also interesting to see how the message develops across the pages from Genesis to Revelation. God speaks once, yea twice, yea many times, but there is no contradiction or confusion there, when you get it. God established his creation and speaks through it. Those who have no Bible or reading ability still get the message. There is no language and no place where it is not heard. God gave each of us a conscience so that even without a word in writing we know right from wrong. Moreover, we can know God, and it is within us to worship him as God or to become vain in our imaginations. God has sent his Son, and he has spoken, with words and deeds, including a death and a resurrection that might have made it clear. But some still would not believe. Is it because they had problems with the meaning of the words, or what he had failed to say? He wrote nothing himself, as far as we know, except once on the ground, and we do not know what he wrote then. Those who heard him wrote what he said and did, though none wrote all of it, and their accounts have some slight variations. But we do not well to strain over those slight variations. Thank God for all of them and see that their stories all agree. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, as are all the translations of the Bible. God gave us his Holy Spirit and even when we are unsaved he ministers to us, of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come. When we are saved he guides us from inside, reminding us of the word of God and giving us the applicable meaning. He knows the mind of God, and he tells us without having to strain at words. And the Spirit and the Son and the written word and our hearts all agree. And there are many translations of the Bible. They all tell us the same message: that God loves us and sent his son to die for us. And they all tell us that we are to love each other. What if we knew just that and did not have the wherewithal to see the gnats? Then perhaps we would concentrate on acting on the little that we knew. The message of 1 John 5:7 is seen throughout the Bible. It seems to me it does not matter whether or not it was said there one more time. |
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810 | What does the Lord say about excellence? | Eccl 9:10 | Aixen7z4 | 98695 | ||
Might you be thinking of Ecclesiastes 9:10? It says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest". |
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811 | How to Believe | John 20:31 | Aixen7z4 | 98693 | ||
I would give some of my time and attention to reading, and I would read the Gospel of John. That book was written to help us to believe. | ||||||
812 | Mental Illness | Matt 5:31 | Aixen7z4 | 98593 | ||
Dear Friend: You ask what the Bible says about mental illness. It says a lot about that, and it would take a long answer to cover what it says. But, which is what I think you are interested in, the Bible acknowledges that mental illness exists. Moreover, it is not something you should feel guilty about or ashamed; it is a part of the human condition. We are made up of body and soul (mind) and spirit, and any one of these can be ill. That is why we say (1Th 5:23) “the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. And now you are looking for hope, which is exactly what you need. And may I say, you are closer to it that you may realize. Your heart is sick for lack of hope. But you will find it, maybe here on this forum. Solomon says (Proverbs 13:12) “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life”. You say you feel like giving up at times, and that is normal. But if you will accept the struggle, fight the good fight of faith, and win, then the victory will be for you and your children. If you are looking for scriptures to give you hope, know that you have them, and that is what they are there for. (Rom 15:4) For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. We have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast (Hebrews 6:18,19). Do you understand? Do you accept that? When the saints of old felt low, like you are feeling now, they talked to themselves as follows: (Psa 42:5) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. (Psa 42:11) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Moreover, they talked to God like this: (Psa 38:15) “In thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.” (Psa 71:5) “Thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth”. The point here is this: There are biological factors (within the brain) and environmental factors (things happening around you) which may affect your mind for ill. It will help if you can accept that and not blame yourself for it. You will need to confess and forsake any known sin, and thus free your mind. You may need to consult a physician who can check out your chemical balance and prescribe medication if so indicated. And then you must look to the Lord, not for a temporary relief, but in a permanent attitude of trust. Isaiah testifies (26:3) that He keeps us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on him. Asaph says (Psa 78:7) that it is God’s design for people to “set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments”. You would do well to trust in the Lord. It will benefit your mental health because, according to (Psa 146:5) “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God”. Here is some free advice, that your focus should not be on your feelings, but on the Lord. Many a person has served the Lord while feeling badly in body, soul, and/or spirit. Give thanks to God for the measure of health that you do have, and serve him with it. Remember how Jesus said, “My soul is troubled … but ... Thy will be done”. Serve the Lord with gladness, my friend. Now, I have given you some scriptures here. Is that you were looking for? As we noted above, it is the Scripture that will give you hope. So I hope you got it. If you are saved, then say with Peter: (1Pe 1:3) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope”. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Peter again, it is through him that we are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God. If God raised Jesus from the dead, and he did, I trust he will also raise you from the depths of depression and hopelessness. If he lifted him into the heavens, and he did, I trust he will also lift you to heights of joy, as you trust in him and serve him. But say, What does Matthew 5:31 have to do with this? |
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813 | do you pay tithe on loan money | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 98111 | ||
One of these days I hope to write a long article on the subject of Tithing. It will be full of scripture references and it will be hopefully convincing. The aim will be to encourage us to take hold of the freedom for which Christ has made us free and to shake off the present bondage that has been imposed on us. It will say that Tithing is a relic of the Old Testament economy and is not for today. It will say that the Christian should consider all that he has as belonging to the Lord, and not just one tenth of it. It will say that Christians should give to the church gladly and freely as the Lord prospers them, after taking care of their personal and family needs. It will try to differentiate between needs and wants. It will say that the church should use what is given to meet the needs of those who minister and those who who are not able to work to meet their own needs. It will say that the church needs to reexamine its priorities and to spend the people's money the way the Lord intended. It might even say that there are too many church buildings and that those buildings are too large and too fancy. It might suggest that Christians return to a simpler form of life and spend less on fancy cars and clothes. It might suggest that our focus and our spending be more on spiritual things and less on material things. But the basic point will be that tithing should be eliminated from our vocabulary. It will suggest that the directions for our giving be taken from New testament passages such as Matthew 6:19; Luke 12:15; Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 9;2 Corinthians 9; Colossians 3:2; 1Timothy 6:10; James 2:8; etc. My article will suggest that Malachi 3:8 be replaced with Romans 12:1 in our thinking. Or perhaps I should say that each of these passages should be looked at again, and in their proper context. We realize that something is wrong when we are being asked to give and we find it hard, when we have needs, spiritual and material, and they are not being met. It will become clear that the governmental system of taxing those who have to meet the needs of those who serve and those who have not is working better than our own system of requiring tithing and seeing old ladies go hungry. Then we may realize that the tithe was the tax in Old Testament economy, when the civil government was a theocracy. But that article will have to wait for a while. I am not sure the church is ready for it. Besides, I have no desire to be controversial. |
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814 | marriage and masturbation. | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 98110 | ||
My dear sister, Hank is correct. Sex is for you and your husband. You need not be embarrassed to discuss anything with him. On the other hand, you need not discuss what you do with anyone else. If it is a problem for either of you you should see a professional. Now, if you click on as authors name and find out that he is a professional, I suggest that you note his e-mail address and write to him privately. Yes, counseling is available by e-mail and by telephone. You seem to be a happy and well-adjusted couple. You do not need to be confused, or to develop problems that do not now exist. You said you and your husband have both "recently came back to God" and really want to do his will. Just remember that God's will is in his word. Be sure you are not bringing back anything you learned "out there" that is contrary to the word of God. So far you have not mentioned any. |
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815 | Church curses??? | Luke 9:55 | Aixen7z4 | 98101 | ||
Most churches take the proper stance on moral issues. I do believe that the church as a whole is responding correctly to these questions. This is one area in which the Roman Catholics seem to have the dorrect stance. As I understand it, they do not curse the people who practice or promote those things, but they declare that they are wrong, and state that no person who practices those things has good standing in the church. If your pastor prays "that God would judge them and graciously protect all those on whom they prey" he is on the right track. The church should understand, however, that they will not change the behavior of people outside the church. They have enough difficulty helping those who belong in the church. The church is light and salt in the earth and they do affect the world for good. But they do that by being there, and by shining for the world to see. Again, they are not to curse anyone. The church is the pillar and ground of truth, and it holds out God's standards to the world. Hopefully, the world will know right an wrong by simply looking at them. But the church is also to preach the Gospel. In preaching the Gospel they must let all men know that they are sinners. But they need not point out specific sins, it is the sinful nature in all of us that we address. We must tell the world that the Lord requires repentance. But again, they are to repent of sin in toto and not of individual sins. God has promised to judge those who refuse to repent (See Acts 17:30,31). We hardly need to pray for that. |
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816 | corporate curses? | Rom 12:14 | Aixen7z4 | 98071 | ||
I also confess ignorance of the idea of "church curses". I have never heard the term, and do not believe in appears in the Bible. There are times when a certain behavior in the world around us affects us emotionally, much as the sin of Sodom and Gomorrha affected Lot. It upsets us. It vexes our righteous souls. Our response should be like Lot's, to beseech them, and more than that, to give them the Gospel. God does not give us the job of cursing people. Some Christians are affected by words from the Psalms calling on the Lord to punish wicked people. (See Psalm 59, for example). Some see David's vows to punish the wicked (in Psalm 101, for example) as a sanction to do the same. They forget, perhaps, that David was a king, and a ruler of his people. He was also a prophet and was expressing God's thoughts. The Lord has told us that we are to bless and not curse (Romans 12:14) even when we are being persecuted (verse 19). "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord". In your place I would look carefully at the scriptures quoted by that pastor whom you respect. He, like I, and like Paul, should not go beyond what has been written (1 Cor. 4:6). The Lord has not given any curses to the church to administer. On the contrary, we are to bless. That does not mean that we give approval or wish them well in their activities (2 John v.10). But we are to wish that they would chnge their behavior while understanding that thy are unlikely to do so until they are saved. We all know John 3:16. We shoud also learn John 3:17. |
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817 | Church curses??? | Luke 9:55 | Aixen7z4 | 98070 | ||
I also confess ignorance of "the Church's holy curses". I have never heard the term, and do not believe in appears in the Bible. There are times when a certain behavior in the world around us affects us emotionally, much as the sin of Sodom and Gomorrha affected Lot. It upsets us. It vexes our righteous souls. Our response should be like Lot's, to beseech them, and more than that, to give them the Gospel. God does not give us the job of cursing people. Some Christians are affected by words from the Psalms calling on the Lord to punish wicked people. (See Psalm 59, for example). Some see David's vows to punish the wicked (in Psalm 101, for example) as a sanction to do the same. They forget, perhaps, that David was a king, and a ruler of his people. He was also a prophet and was expressing God's thoughts. The Lord has told us that we are to bless and not curse (Romans 12:14) even when we are being persecuted (verse 19). "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord". In your place I would look carefully at the scriptures quoted by that pastor whom you respect. He, like I, and like Paul, should not go beyond what has been written (1 Cor. 4:6). The Lord has not given any curses to the church to administer. On the contrary, we are to bless. That does not mean that we give approval or wish them well in their activities (2 John v.10). But we are to wish that they would chnge their behavior while understanding that thy are unlikely to do so until they are saved. We all know John 3:16. We shoud also learn John 3:17. |
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818 | How to hear from God | Is 55:6 | Aixen7z4 | 98053 | ||
I would suggest that you say those very words to God. That is what God's people do. See, for example, Psalm 42. The psalmist sings: "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God". Try that, and tell us the results. God has promised that those who seek him will find him, when they seek him with their whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13). He says we should call upon him, and he will answer (Jeremiah 33:3). I suggest that you start by realizing that it is God who is drawing you to himself (Matthew 11:28). Thank him for that, and continue to seek him (Psalm 27:8). You should realize also, that you may have to be patient (Psalm 27:14). You may have already experienced that if you have had to wait a long time for this response. That's the way it goes (Psalm 40:1). But now, believe. Have faith in God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. If you have the patience and persistence, then please copy and paste this link: ( http://hishows.bizland.com/meditation.html ) and let the Lord speak to you through his word. Now, are you sure you want to hear from God? What if he asks you to do something? When he speaks, you may have to worship him, confess your sins, give him thanks, things like that. He may ask you to do some other thing. But you should not give up your quest. If you draw nigh to God, he will draw nigh to you. And in his presence, there is fullness of joy. |
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819 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97951 | ||
Thank you, Hank, I have enjoyed it too. Thanks to EdB and Mommapbs as well. With your permission I would like to cut and paste your comments into another document in order to preserve them. That should tell you how much I have appreciated your responses. I have learned a lot. In my ministry I have found the issue of self-esteem to be very important. Some of your brethren are suffering because they do not know how to handle it well. Some are very high in it, maybe too high, and some are very very low. Some are confused because of alternate teachings on the need for humility and the fact of the priesthood of all believers. Some believers are confused on the related subject of gifts. Some feel they have all the gifts and find it hard to manage their self-confidence. Some find it hard to admit that they have any gift at all and they lack the courage to find out or to develop any. One is tempted to write a book on the subject, it is so important; but that has been done. With such a difficult subject, it is hard to be completely settled. How can one be completely objective about oneself? Indeed, some feel that such a focus on the self cannot be healthy. And yet we must live with ourselves and from that vantage point relate to others. We should be looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. But as we have looked into this glass, however darkly, let us hope that this look has made us each a little more like him. |
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820 | And not so low that ...? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97843 | ||
OK. That seems to balance the scales. And it occurs to me now that we will have solved this situation when we have learned to imitate the Savior. He knew who he was, and he was the Son of God. He said, "I am ...", "I am ..." and he said, "I am". And yet he called himself the Son of man. He was Master and Lord, and yet he washed the disciples' feet. He did not lack for confidence. Yet he was meek and lowly in heart. And we should be like that. May the Lord help us. Let his mind be in us that was also in Christ (Philippians 2:5). It may be that high self-esteem can be so effectively modulated by lowliness of mind that it does not get out of hand. Perhaps that's what Paul was saying. |
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