Results 81 - 100 of 115
|
||||||
Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Parable Ordered by Verse |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
81 | Balanced view on the issues in Middle ea | Rom 3:23 | Parable | 77392 | ||
How about "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"? -- Romans 3:23 The issues are: 1) local, regional and global, 2) ethnic, religious, economic and political, 3) chronic and acute 4) embedded, highly charged and dangerous and surprisingly, 4) solvable. Jesus is the answer to all of them. Parable |
||||||
82 | How do we love those in sin | Rom 5:8 | Parable | 42898 | ||
Try to have a top-down perspective on the situation. That is, try to see it from God's perspective. In this way, perhaps you can see that sin is like a disease and your sister is like a patient. Love and truth are the medicine. Be compassionate toward your sister by realizing that on her own, she is doing the best she can do with what she has been given, even if it seems she's not trying very hard. I find that a good way to help others learn to respect God is for them to learn to respect you, a vessel for the Holy Spirit. In all things you do, act so your sister can respect you, then perhaps she will be open to seeing the merits of a right relationship with the Lord. | ||||||
83 | If u r saved, can u become not saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 41492 | ||
There is some debate about this. One perspective is salvation is a gift of grace and there is nothing we do to deserve it and there is nothing we can do to cancel God's will for us. I have heard people say that once granted, salvation is assured, but if you continue to pursue a sinful life, your heavenly rewards will be granted accordingly. Another perspective is, Paul assures us that for those in Christ, there is no condemnation, so your question seems to hinge on whether or not we can fall out of Christ. Hebrews 6:4-12 (NIV) seems to warn us against falling away from repentence. I have capitalized the basic sentence, which spans verses 4-6, so as to highlight the backbone on which other clauses depend, see below. This backbone says it is impossible to be brought back to repentence if you fall away from it. Repentence is a fundamental step in coming to Christ. Also, in the ancient cultures of the Bible, time and events are often viewed as ongoing processes, not just discrete events, so I believe repentence is a state of being, not just something you do once and its over. So, it seems possible to fall away from repentence and Hebrews seems to be saying this is a threat to our relationship with Christ and carries consequences for us. Yet also, these verses close with the confidence that we won't need this warning. When people ask about falling away it shows they are probably not in danger of this, as falling away implies that you don't care at all. However, some hope to justify their ongoing sin by saying that no matter what they do, they are saved. Paul admonishes us against this kind of thinking with his famous "1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" -- Romans 6:1-2 (NIV) So, we should pray for God to free us from our addiction to sin rather than look for ways to feel better about it. ---------- 4IT IS IMPOSSIBLE for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6IF THEY FALL AWAY, TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO REPENTENCE, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. 9Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation. 10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. |
||||||
84 | If u r saved, can u become not saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 44656 | ||
Perhaps Jesus' parable of the sower speaks to this question: Matthew 13: 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear." 10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." 18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Amen. |
||||||
85 | Parable, who in Matt 13:3-23 is saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 44679 | ||
As I understand Jesus' explanation, the Word of God is the seed, we are the soil and the Kingdom of God (salvation) is the bountiful crops. Clearly, the first three examples of poor soil don't yield anything. Only the good soil produced crops, so those who are good soil, fertile for God's Word and fruitful, are saved. This proportion is reflected 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. |
||||||
86 | Romans 8:18-27,31-34 | Rom 8:26 | Parable | 41441 | ||
The Holy Spirit lives in and through believers in Christ. He knows our needs, regardless our ability to express them or our awareness, or ignorance, of them. He gives us what we need, but not necessarily what we'd like to have. Yet, so long as we ask according to God's will, He will grant what we ask. This means so long as we keep our love for Jesus as the primary purpose for our life, anything we ask will be according to His will and it will be so. When we can't articulate what we need, He knows what we are asking for, i.e. for Him to give us what we need. Ironically, what we need most is for Him to bring us into harmony with His will; our learning to ask according to His will is one way He brings us to Himself. | ||||||
87 | Shame?? What could this be? | Rom 10:9 | Parable | 47037 | ||
The apostle Pauls answers your first question: "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" --Romans 10:9 He also teaches that once we have accepted Christ, we are no longer condemned. "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" -- Romans 8:1 This means that we are no longer in bondage to sin, so we no longer need to have any fear that God accepts us into His Kingdom, even though we do not live perfect lives. But that doesn't mean we can do just anything we want and expect there to be no consequences, for doing bad things always leads to problems and we are always responsible for what we do, here and in heaven. As for being timid about your faith in front of others, this is natural. Fellowship with mature Christians will help you grow in faith and have more confidence with your testimony. Pray that God will give you strength, patience and wisdom to bring you through this difficult time. Parable |
||||||
88 | is masterbation a sin | Rom 12:1 | Parable | 191656 | ||
To address this question, one must examine what the Bible teaches about sexual immorality. It is generally accepted that where the Bible gives specific instruction, we stand firm, and where the Bible is silent, we should live according to godly principles. The Bible is clear, sexual immorality is prohibited by God. A survey of scripture reveals numerous instances in which sexually impure people are described. See Gen19:5, Gen19:30-38, Gen34:1-2, Gen35:22, Gen38:9, Gen38:14-18, Num25:6-14, Judg16:1, 1Sam2:22, 2Sam11:4, 2Sam13:14, 2Sam16:22, Hos1-2, John4, John8:1-11, Luke7:36-39, 1Cor5:1 and Rev2:20. The specific issues are homosexuality, incest, rape, adultery, refusal to father a child by the wife of a dead brother, fornication, sex in the tabernacle and in public, and leading others to sexual immorality. Lev18-20 prohibit incest, adultery, fornication, prostitution, homosexuality, bestiality and sexual relations during menstruation. In all these, sexual relations with a partner are involved. Nowhere does the Bible expressly discuss solitary sexual activity, i.e. masturbation. While in some cases a failure to prohibit may imply tolerance or even permission, such reasoning can lead to serious error. Yet, in light of the Bible’s apparent silence on this topic, what conclusions may be drawn? The most obvious place to start is Jesus’ teachings about the content of our hearts. In the gospels, he taught that murder begins as anger, stealing begins as greed and adultery begins as lust. Hence, the life we give to our thoughts is morally equivalent to the sinful acts they inspire. However, most Bible scholars agree that the terms "anger", "greed" and "lust", as understood in biblical cultures and times, are not the kinds of passing thoughts all of us have at one time or another. Rather they are obsessive patterns of thinking that are indulged without regard to consequences and reduce others (or their possessions) to objects for base gratification of some fleshly desire, e.g. revenge, coveting or sex. In lust, sexual desire is indulged until it becomes grotesque and compelling, leading to sexual acts that are clearly immoral. If masturbation involves this kind of thinking, it is sinful and a perversion of God's intent for our sexuality. Hence, masturbation can cause us to fall short of God's standards and bring upon ourselves the natural consequences of disregarding His wisdom. For example, because sexual climax involves the release of very powerful chemicals in the brain, it is possible to become addicted to these chemicals. The dynamics of such addiction are the same as other forms of addiction, i.e. escalation in dependence, leading to increasing demands for more intense experiences, which can lead to the use of pornography and even promiscuity, both of which are clearly sinful. Furthermore, because addiction soon becomes the most important thing in life, it may be considered a form of idolatry, another sin. Another example is that for some people masturbation can carry with it profound shame or guilt. While shame or guilt can serve to correct error, excessive shame or guilt can prevent us from accepting God’s love, mercy and grace, hindering our relationship with him. While the Bible does not expressly address masturbation, it honors sexual purity and speaks to the content of our hearts and the life we give to our thoughts. Accordingly, masturbation should not be dismissed as trivial or irrelevant, but rather understood as a powerful experience that each person must consider in light of scripture, prayer, counsel and conscience. |
||||||
89 | Thoughts of REVENGE | Rom 12:19 | Parable | 44049 | ||
Unfortunately, it IS normal for people to REACT to injury by entertaining thoughts of revenge. However, you can use such times as opportunities for spiritual growth. That is, once you are over your emotional reaction, RESPOND with love for your enemies. Jesus says, in Matthew 44-45, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." This is only possible by adopting Christ's perspective on who they are, i.e. helpless sinners lost in the world. Even believers who do hurtful things need to be seen in this light. Also, recognize your own condition in this way and forgive yourself for feeling vengeful. Soon, those things that hurt you will no be so powerful over you. |
||||||
90 | more about tongues...? | 1 Corinthians | Parable | 45997 | ||
I don't have this gift, but I know many in my church who speak in tongues as a prayer language. (I have yet to see anyone speak in tongues to the congregation and have another interpret.) I find it beautiful and comforting to hear during group prayer. When I hear it from those around me at my church, I believe it reflects their relationship with the Spirit because I know more about them than just that they speak in tongues. Also, I am quite comfortable not speaking in tongues and have no desire for this gift. Why? Because we are in Christ and He is in us, the Holy Spirit is already upon us, evidence or no. There are many other ways besides tongues we can know of His indwelling and outpouring. Regarding tongues itself, studies by linguists confirm that the sounds spoken conform to the patterns of true language, and in blind-trials they can readily identify efforts to fake it; the structure and rythms just aren't the same. Speaking in tongues is real, but without the love of Christ, means nothing. I sense that you may be dealing with something larger than tongues. If I may speculate, be cautious of those who would try to convince you of anything by virtue of their speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit needs no introduction! |
||||||
91 | Where is it written...? | 1 Cor 7:12 | Parable | 111652 | ||
The commandment is "You shall not murder" not "you shall not kill" -- Exodus 20:13. There is a difference between killing and murder. Not all killing is murder. Murder is the kind of killing that tears the fabric of society. If killing were the same as murder, all the prescriptions in scripture for execution would be prescriptions for murder. This relates to divorce in that divorce is permitted as a concession to our hardness of heart, i.e. a recognition of that we do not live up to God's standards. Thus, most churches accept that abuse, adultery and abandonment are legitimate grounds for divorce. These factors indicate the marriage, as He intended, may be dead. While it is clear that God hates divorce, He does not want anyone to live a lie. I believe no one should divorce because of one incident or infidelity, but when those things become chronic patterns and serious, then one may give over that person to their choices, which reflect anything but a desire to be married. |
||||||
92 | r u released from marriage if mistreated | 1 Cor 7:12 | Parable | 111654 | ||
Divorce is permitted as a concession to our hardness of heart, i.e. a recognition of that we do not live up to God's standards. Thus, most churches accept that abuse, adultery and abandonment are legitimate grounds for divorce. These factors indicate the marriage, as He intended, may be dead. While it is clear that God hates divorce, He does not want anyone to live a lie. I believe no one should divorce because of one incident or infidelity, but when those things become chronic patterns and serious, then one may give over that person to their choices, which reflect anything but a desire to be married. | ||||||
93 | How do I let go and still love??? | 1 Cor 7:17 | Parable | 191725 | ||
In the divorce recovery class I lead, this question often comes up as "how do I stop loving my former spouse?" My response is, the answer is not to stop loving them, or to love them less, but to love them more by loving them differently, as God loves them. By virtue of being limited, flawed and broken creatures, our love often contains elements of selfishness and being conditional. God's love does not. Our love is incomplete, His is not. If you can learn to see the other person as God does, as someone in need of His love, His compassion, His forgiveness, His correction, that is the starting point for learning to love that person differently. This love does not depend on anything about the other person, they cannot earn it or do anything to lose it. In this kind of love, you are completely free, no longer attached to the things you have lost. Of course, you also must learn to see yourself as God does, as his cherished, beloved child. I will return to this post shortly to provide specific references, but I just wanted to respond to your most important question so you may know that there is a way through this season that is not just surviving, but leads to living abundantly. If you are experiencing separation or divorce, I recommend that you visit www.divorcecare.org and search for a class in your area, sign up for the daily emails of encouragement and even perhaps order the audio CD's of their program, which are quite affordable. In all those, you will find many, many verses to instruct and encourage you. Peace, Parable |
||||||
94 | How do I let go and still love??? | 1 Cor 7:17 | Parable | 191733 | ||
The most recent research shows that when possible, and when there are no immediate hazards to the child, the best possible arrangements, under these circumstances, are what they call "equal parenting". This means the child spends, on average, an equal amount of time with each parent. Of course this is not the ideal God had in mind, but it avoids the problems of having "weekend dad" who pretty much just gets to have fun with kids, while mom has to take care of them when they're sick, help them with homework, be the disciplinarian, etc, etc, etc. (Of course, it could be the other way around, with the dad having primary custody, but the point is the same.) This requires each parent to grant the other person the authority to parent as they see fit, so the child can have an authentic relationship with both parents. It also provides each parent "time with" and "time off", so they can equally share the work of raising their kids. The biblical standards for family are that the child should honor the parents (Exodus 20:12) and the parents should adhere to Ephesian 6:4 "...do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." As for the best thing you can do for your kids, avoid ever saying anything negative to them about the other parent, and work to become a healthy, vibrant person in your own right, so they may see a good example of how to live under adversity. This involves forgiving the other person, avoiding the mistakes people so often make, and doing the right things to build a new life. Above all, put your faith in the Lord to bring you through this. The only way out is through, and remember "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 |
||||||
95 | "Speaking in tongues"? | 1 Cor 14:1 | Parable | 43661 | ||
Simple. The churches that promote speaking in tongues do so because they believe this gift of the spirit is worthy to be received, see 1Cor14. I don't have this gift, but I know many in my church who speak in tongues as a prayer language. I find it beautiful and comforting to hear during group prayer. (My church offers once a month a "charismatic" service for those who wish a more intense encounter with the Holy Spirit.) Studies by linguists confirm that the sounds spoken conform to the patterns of true language, and in blind-trials they can readily identify efforts to fake it; the structure and rythms just aren't the same. Perhaps more importantly, we should be careful not to judge others, but rather receive the gift of discernment, i.e. the ability to see spiritual truth. |
||||||
96 | forgiving people who have hurt me | 2 Cor 5:17 | Parable | 114542 | ||
Anxiety is a form of fear, one that is general rather than specific. Anxiety is a natural reaction of being hurt by others. In order to be free of anxiety, let go of your fear of being hurt by others. To do this, let go of past hurts. To do this, forgive those who have hurt you. To do this, have compassion for them. To do this, see them for what they are through the eyes of Jesus. To do this, learn how Jesus sees you by accepting that you are a sinner and that He forgives all those who believe in Him and what He did on the cross for you. Read the bible, get with mature Christians and grow in faith. | ||||||
97 | Unequally Yoked? | 2 Cor 6:14 | Parable | 76723 | ||
"with unbelievers" is the key to understanding this verse. Diversity in Christ is not the issue. Rather, it is the distinction between faith in Christ and unbelief. Since you ask about getting married, and not about being married, this verse can be interpreted as advising against marrying an unbeliever (the ultimate alliance), but does not address differences in preferences, tradition or denomination. |
||||||
98 | Was the church embarassed? Come see. | Gal 2:11 | Parable | 115117 | ||
Here's a good explanation from John Piper in his book "The Passion of Jesus Christ: 50 reasons why jesus came to die", #44 To Destroy the Hostility Between the Races, p. 106: "Peter has been living in the freedom of Jesus Christ. In spite of the fact that he was a Jewish Christian, he was eating with non-Jewish Christians. The dividing wall had come down. The hostility had been overcome. This is what Christ died to achieve. But then some very conservative Jews came to Antioch. Cephas panicked. He feared their criticism. So he pulled back from his fellowship with Gentiles. The apostle Paul saw this happening. What would he do? Serve the status quo? Keep peace between the visiting conservatives and the more free Christian Jews in Antioch? The key to Paul's behavior is found in these words: "I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel" (Galations 2:14) This is a crucial statement. Racial and ethnic segregation is a gospel issue! Cephas' fear and withdrawl from fellowship across ethnic lines was "not in step with the truth of the gospel." Christ had died to tear down this wall. And Cephas was building it up again." Piper's explanation is consistent with what we know of Peter and of Paul, and it shows how Jesus is the foundation for understanding scripture, and that God can use any situation for his purposes. |
||||||
99 | But what if his nightmares torment him? | Gal 5:16 | Parable | 45472 | ||
He should not try to CONTROL those experiences. Rather, he should appeal to God to bring him through them. Romans 5:3 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance". Your friend should rejoice in the Lord that He has blessed him with these experiences; they remind him of his deliverance out of darkness. If your friend were comfortable with these dreams and memories, it would show he was still in darkness. That he is troubled by thoughts of being in darkness shows that he is no longer a slave to those things. This reminds me of a similar situation. When recovering drug addicts have "using" dreams, it reaffirms their on-going recovery, but with the stern reminder that they have to work out their recovery each day. Your friend should view these experiences as direct evidence of God working in his life, reminding him of the reality and dire consequences of sin. This is called being "convicted" and is part of how God brings us to Himself. |
||||||
100 | Believing in the Bible and E.T.'s | Eph 2:2 | Parable | 82317 | ||
I submit that the Bible does not address the possibility of extra-terrestrial life, at least in the normal biological sense. Therefore, there is no reason to support nor deny it on the basis of scripture. Perhaps the more important issue is how you respond to that possibility. If true, then I suggest it provides another witness to God's creativity. If not, then our collective existence is that much more meaningful as a unique expression of His love, just as our individuality reflects His love for diversity. With respect to the modern "folklore" surrounding UFO's and aliens, I believe we must not be seduced by these distractions. James instructs us to "test everything" and "hold onto the good". If you find any "good" evidence for aliens, let me know. Parable. |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ] Next > Last [6] >> |