Results 81 - 100 of 277
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: charis Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
81 | Abortion for medical reason ??????? | Ex 20:13 | charis | 32594 | ||
Dear Witp, Greetings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus! My friend and fellow Christian, let me first tell you that we are in prayer for your situation, and that you will have faith and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to see you through. As was pointed out, it is almost impossible to give valid counsel to you through an internet forum. You should be in close counsel with your pastor/shepherd at this time, and of course be in constant counsel with God. If I may point out something that you may have missed. Many doctors do not have the same standards as Bible-believing Christians, and may be somewhat hasty to suggest abortion. Please make sure that your doctor knows your stance on this issue. Next, get another opinion, preferably from a Christian doctor who is knowledgeable in this field. Your last question was asking if God is testing your faith. I think that it would be more correct to say that the situations of life are testing your faith. First, find peace, so that you can make a godly decision. Don't be 'bullied' into making a quick decision. Ask the Lord to guide you by the Spirit to see things as they really are. Together with your wife and children, open the Bible, and pray as one. As for a minister to come and help you. Ask for fellowship and prayer from the saints of your church. May the Lord give you all that you need to overcome the situations of life to the glory of God! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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82 | How can I submit to fallable clergy? | Ex 20:14 | charis | 32718 | ||
Dear Listener, Greetings in the name of Jesus! My friend, your honesty is disarming! I, too, have much experience with clergy and professional ministers that are unworthy of trust. As a 'fellow' minister (but because I am a 'lay' pastor, I am not *completely* accepted into the clique! :-)), I sometimes see a side of the clergy that is hidden from the 'laity.' I am ashamed for those that do not know how to be ashamed. But, nonetheless, the Word of God requires us all to honor and obey those in spiritual authority. As Christians, this respect must be without reservation or qualification. So, God's people have a certain abount of responsibility to find God's chosen leaders. The problem is not just a lack of shepherd-like shepherds. There is also a dearth of sheep-like sheep! All I can say, Listener, is that you MUST search (by the leading of the Holy Spirit) until you find a pastor who will shepherd you. God requires it. Soulish or intellectual satisfaction are not enough. Convenience or tradition are not good enough for God's people. Good music, good school or good programs will not feed you what you really need. The local church must be a *family* of God. Any good family needs a pillar, chosen (called) by the Lord. Bless you in this quest! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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83 | Body piercing acceptable by Christians? | Ex 21:6 | charis | 17160 | ||
Dear Friend, Greetings in Jesus' name! Yes, in the Old Testament this was a rite of a slave to show submission to his master. Is it OK? Well, I suppose it is better than other nonsensical things. Frankly, it turns my stomach to see pierced navals, eyebrows, tongues, noses, etc. It reminds me much more of a pagan ritual or self-punishment than the act of a follower of Christ. I have a lot more understanding of women piercing their ears (one per, please!) to show tasteful and graceful ornaments that compliment their natural beauty. Yes, pieced with swords and to the heart with conviction. No differences that I know of. As the father of two teenage girls, I must say that I sense a lot of social pressure to mutilate yourself these days. Go figure. Same with tattoos, grotesque makeup, weird and complicated hair styles and colors, and outrageous clothes made more for shock value than comfort or attractiveness. In my humble opinion, those in Christ Jesus should be able to be more self-assured than to need to resort to 'gross-me-out' fashion. This has been discussed quite a bit. If you click the 'Search' button on the left and type 'pierce,' you will find some interesting threads on this subject. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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84 | Num 13 and spiritual mapping. Yes or no? | Numbers | charis | 2289 | ||
Dear geoffc, I cannot see that you can get any help from Numbers chapter 13. 10 out of 12 'heads of the sons of Israel' had no faith, and the 'mapping' of the land was for the purpose of killing, enslaving or displacing the inhabitants. Hardly evangelism! Spiritual mapping does take any rocket science; our first 'territory' is our own immediate family (spouse, children), then our extended family (including in-laws). The next obvious group would be friends, acquaintances, coworkers, classmates, etc. Next is the people that 'the Lord sends to you' in your daily walk. We have a responsibility to share the Gospel with those that we know, which is much more difficult than people we do not know. Our most effective tool is the 'preaching' of the Gospel, the power of the Word of God, spoken in faith. The next most effective tool is our example of faith, the 'testimony' of our lives. This 'testimony' is not money or position, but the holy manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." 1 Peter 2:12 NASB. Then you will be effective to evangelize the lost. I am not saying that you cannot go out and evangelize until you have 'saved' all your family and friends. But I look askance at a believer that is 'full of charisma and the 'gift of gab,' brimming with convincing evangelism and enthusiasm, but their natural life is in a shambles. I also wonder about a church that goes to great lengths to 'fill the pews,' but does not shepherd the flock. This is not a judgment on any man or church, just an observation. Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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85 | blaspheming vs NT | Num 15:30 | charis | 1057 | ||
Dear getsmart, I think that we all blaspheme the Lord in some way or other, at some time or other. (Those of the Old Testament must have tried hard to hide it! Thank You Jesus for the New Covenant!) Now, however, to apply ourselves to denying the work of the Holy Spirit, Who wants us to know and serve God, is unforgivable. Also, it must take a lot of willfulness and effort to deny undisputable love and the knowledge of God. I hope and pray that the ability to battle against the Spirit is beyond my will. In any case, if it is fairly easy to blaspheme the Spirit, heaven will be a lonely place, huh? Use 'Search' on the left and enter "Guffaw" in the 'Word' box for additional comments. | ||||||
86 | Is Israel still chosen? | Deut 6:4 | charis | 16492 | ||
Dear wahine, Aloha from Japan in Jesus' name! Your pastor is correct in that Israel, as a geographical location, a political entity, or a human bloodline is not God's 'chosen.' (This is not to say that He will not honor the above three!) From the very beginning, Abraham's relationship with God was one of faith. Though the Lord did bless the 'seed' of Abraham starting with Isaac, it is obvious that God desires faith, not religion, not sacrifice, not places, and not progeny. The New Testament is a 'natural progression,' you might say, of the Old Testament. The reason I say this is the many, many prophecies and promises of a purely faith-based relationship with God. This was realized in Christ Jesus, In Jesus' name, charis |
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87 | How do we open eyes to truth? | Deut 7:2 | charis | 24237 | ||
Dear coop1, Greetings in Jesus' name! I am not 'for' war, and I really don't know of many that ARE! But I am 'for' justice and self-defence, and obeying the earthly authorities set over me by God. War IS ugly! So is terrorism, murderous fanatacism, drug-and/or-greed inspired violent crime, etc. You are assuming that these people have an ear to hear the Gospel. When a child is throwing a tantrum, he cannot hear love and reason. You must 'contain' this rage/selfish behavior, THEN talk. You can call this the equivalent of wrapping him in your arms! If you let a wild beast follow their 'instincts,' they continue the rampage until they are spent! Do you suggest that we allow these madmen to continue until they are spent? Perhaps you did not lose a friend or loved one to murder, therefore you are willing to allow it to happen again. We deal sometimes with truly crazy people! You cannot just say that they have 'diminished responsibility' because of their social environment. Friend, I disagree that we should 'turn the other cheek' toward insane violence and terrorism. Jesus was speaking of disputes among brethren, not about those bent on annihilation. I agree that we should share the Good News to all, and in order to do that with some, it requires 'containment,' especially if they vow to kill until their own death or the death of all of other faith (i.e. Christian). Your view is admirable, but not very practical. I cannot help thinking that you take your stand while being far away from the conflict. :-) Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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88 | Where is your faith? | Deut 7:2 | charis | 24257 | ||
Dear coop1, Greetings in Jesus' name! Friend, my faith is in Christ Jesus, and I will dwell in His house forever. But for the moment, He has placed me here, among the brethren AND among the heathen. Jesus has given me clear instruction about how to fellowship with the brethren, and I do my very best to live by His instructions. The Lord has also taught me in the Bible that the heathen need to hear the Word of God, and I serve Him in this capacity in a hostile (but not murderous) environment. He teaches that we must portray love and grace, but at the same time be wise and sensible. I'm afraid that history has shown that ignoring and 'forgiving' murder and terrorism has NEVER changed the collective hearts of those bent on destroying all of a different faith. True, God CAN do anything! But history and revelation show that He has not changed and will not change the collective hearts of murderers and warmongers. These things WILL continue until the return of our Lord. I, too, have friends and relatives that have served, or are serving in the Armed Forces of the USA. I know for a fact that their presence and heroic efforts are necessary for what little peace we have now in the world. One day, the Lord will do away with such things, but we are not just going to 'slide into' a peaceful world because of our humanistic 'mercy flow.' This goes against all prophecy of the Bible. In any case, no 'nation' is truly under God, but only those with individual faith in Christ Jesus. I am to submit to this authority, and my nation has declared war on terrorism. I will serve my country if called upon. (Though I am a bit old :-)) I am sorry if you are offended by my comments. Aren't you getting a bit 'hot' for a pacifist? :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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89 | Racial Purity, Is | Deut 7:3 | charis | 496 | ||
Amigo, For some reason God chose the children of Israel to be His people. They were never very good at obeying His command to be a pure race. In the New Covenant there is no longer this command. Our purity is to be of heart and faith (and according to James, action). It is interesting to note that God, in His mercy, used many of those disobedient to this command to be examples of faith. | ||||||
90 | Should women wear shorts/pants? | Deut 22:5 | charis | 1923 | ||
Dear Lee, inhzsvc is right, modesty is the important thing. There are practical reasons for a woman to wear pants, and for men and women to wear shorts. But, there are pants, and there are pants. There are shorts, and there are shorts. Use your brain and your conscience when buying clothes and choosing what to wear. In this same vein, Body language and gestures are just as dangerous as revealing clothing. Same with hair style, makeup, and accessories. We live in a sensual age, and Christians are not without influence. The world is selling it, and unfortunately, many believers are buying. Prudence (not prudishness) and common sense (the kind in the Bible) are to be observed for the sake of the believer. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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91 | Explain Matt 1:20-25 vs Luke 2:4-6 | Deut 22:22 | charis | 30737 | ||
Dear Karineena, Greetings in Jesus' name! Apparently they were married before Jesus was born. Though Luke 2:5 uses the word 'mnesteuo' correctly translated as 'engaged,' they must have been married or they would be responsible for the sin unto death outlined in Deuteronomy 22:22-27. Possibly 'engaged' is used to emphasize the virginity of Mary? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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92 | Does God want us to prosper | Deut 28:1 | charis | 43369 | ||
Dear Sam, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Not necessarily. God wants us to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. None of these have anything to do with financial blessing. In fact, I could argue that too much financial blessing often robs us of spiritual blessing. How many Christians are owned by their money? Oh! the temptation to think how much we could do for Jesus if we had a lot of money. Oh! the truth is that Jesus doesn't need your money, but your heart. Peace and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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93 | Is retirement mentioned in the Bible? | Deut 34:7 | charis | 2291 | ||
Dear greyfox, No, retirement as a cessation of responsibility is not mentioned. Certainly retirement from a career is not portrayed clearly. As to qualifying for social security, company benefits, or disability insurance, no. Removal of responsibility regarding gifts or ministry, no. Basically, death seems to be the only way to stop doing anything. If you cannot do what you were doing, you do something else. When you are incapable of doing anything, family and church help you until your final 'retirement.' I don't know if this encourages you, or discourages you, I pray the former :-) Keep your eyes (of your spirit) bright! Many blessings in Jesus' name, charis |
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94 | A silly question? | Josh 10:12 | charis | 5417 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, I have considered this line of questioning, and can't think of any reason to obstinately deny the earth revolving on it's axis. I know that Bible says the Sun and moon stopped, but from the point of view of the writers of the Bible, and most readers for a good part of history, this is how it appeared. To try to explain to laymen 2 or 3,000 years ago about the solar system, planetary motion, etc. would be difficult. In any case, for the sun to be circling the earth would require it to travel at a velocity faster than the speed of light (approximately 314,000,000,000 miles per second). When God 'stopped' the sun, it would wreak havoc on more than the Amorites. I am no astronomer, but that would totally blow away anthing we know of physics. God can negate physics at any time He so chooses, but it seems that he only chooses to do so in certain miraculous situations, such as the one above. (Stopping the revolution of the earth, a path through the Red Sea, and many others) Not every day, all day long, as in making a supra-light-speed sun circle us. If we claim that all physical knowledge is suspect, we live in a fantasy world, with no rules or order (Harry Potter?). I believe that our God is a God of order. Blessings to you in Jesus' name, charis |
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95 | A silly question? | Josh 10:12 | charis | 5554 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, You asked for a silly answer, and I gave you an extremely silly one! I wish I could say it was on purpose, but it was a dumb mistake. Blushing with embarrassment, I must tell you and all the forum that I used the formula for the area of a circle (pi 'r' squared) instead of the correct formula for the circumference of a circle (pi 'd'). A sharp reader of these discussions pointed it out to me by email. I feel a little better in that only one person (so far) caught it, and that said person had no idea how I arrived at my answer:-) He did, however, calculate the correct velocity, which is "about 6,760 miles per second," hardly faster than the speed of light. My answer still stands, though, because you don't have to go much further away from a stationary earth to have circling objects traveling well in excess of the speed of light. In fact, using the correct formula, the closest star group, Proxima Centauri would be circling the earth at the velocity of about 5,072,703 miles per second. Now I have have had enough math and astronomy for a long time :-) Begging your pardon, I bless you in the name of Jesus, charis |
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96 | Who's on first? | Josh 10:12 | charis | 6649 | ||
Yes. | ||||||
97 | Still not clear...would appreciate more | 1 Samuel | charis | 282 | ||
Dear Cking_Hisface, Parents have been blind to their children's sin (and their own sin, for that matter) since Adam. See Proverbs and Deuteronomy for neccesity of discipline for their salvation and your testimony. | ||||||
98 | Is cremation biblical or wrong to do? | 1 Sam 31:12 | charis | 1915 | ||
Dear Karen, Good question! The only instance I find in the Bible is the reference above regarding Saul and his sons. It is not portrayed as good or bad, but seemed necessary in this situation. As a Christian, believing in God's ability to resurrect our earthly bodies, I cannot see that it makes a difference. The Word seems silent on this issue, but traditions and emotions come into consideration. Also, the laws of the land, i.e. in Japan, cremation is required by law. Since I am sent by God to serve Him here, there is a good chance I will be cremated. It doesn't bother me at all. (unless I am the victim of an Agatha Christie-type poisoning, and the evidence is annihilated :-) Truly, I am convinced that God will raise me up on that day! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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99 | Doesn't it say that God would cause evil | 2 Sam 12:11 | charis | 15413 | ||
Dear RWC, I have been through this one before. My only question is, why would anynone, in their pursuit of God, want to *know* that God is the root cause of evil? What purpose is served, and how are we able to use this *knowledge* in our comission to preach the Gospel to all creation? Surely, the Holy Spirit within us speaks to our hearts that God is good! For me this is enough, and philosophical conjecture of the *source* of evil is moot, and indeed destructive of faith, our own and those around us. In my humble opinion. In Jesus, charis |
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100 | Where's this verse at? | 1 Kin 19:12 | charis | 30745 | ||
Dear adamAKAweirdo, Greetings in Jesus' name! Elijah, pursued by Jezebel, sought God at Mount Horeb. He was worried that God no longer could speak, beacuse there were no more prophets (Woe is me!). God spoke to him comfort, that there were still 7000 who had not bowed their knee to Baal. "And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." 1 Kings 19:12ff KJV In Christ Jesus, charis |
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