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“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:13 Food – a gift from God. Roses – a gift from God. Every good thing you have ever enjoyed comes from God. Unknown Naturally, God Speaks

Monday 10-11-21 Cheshvan 4, 5782 2nd. day of the weekly cycle, 20th. Fall Day Acts 4:1-37 1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. 5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. 22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. 23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. Love always, Walter and Debbie

John 6 65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 1 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

um.. please forgive me if I am mistaken.. but as far as I know.. I think bible verse 2 Cor 6:14 is not specific for women only? For example if I am not mistaken.. the passage does not mention that it is meant for women only? Plus if one were to read further on to verse 18.. the terms "sons and daughters" is used? Which to me implies that the passage is possibly /likely meant for both male and female believers...not just female only? Just a thought. Thanks.

1) Pray about it. 2) If the Lord leads you (i.e. if you are an appropriate person to deal with it) to speak about it with the believer, then you should share what the Bible says about not marrying unbelievers (unequal yoke, etc.), but it needs to be done in the wisdom and love of the Holy Spirit and not in a fleshly way. 3) If possible pray with the believer about it and recommend that the believer speaks to the pastor.

https://www.scripture-images.com/images/kjv/layout_01/Genesis-28-5-KJV-And-Isaac-sent-away-Jacob-and-he-went-to-I01028005-L01.jpg https://www.scripture-images.com/images/kjv/layout_01/Genesis-28-6-KJV-When-Esau-saw-that-Isaac-had-blessed-Jacob-and-I01028006-L01.jpg https://www.scripture-images.com/images/kjv/layout_01/Genesis-28-7-KJV-And-that-Jacob-obeyed-his-father-and-his-mother--I01028007-L01.jpg https://www.scripture-images.com/images/kjv/layout_01/Genesis-28-8-KJV-And-Esau-seeing-that-the-daughters-of-Canaan-I01028008-L01.jpg https://www.scripture-images.com/images/kjv/layout_01/Genesis-28-9-KJV-Then-went-Esau-unto-Ishmael-and-took-unto-the-I01028009-L01.jpg

The true meaning of the Sabbath is indicated below: Heb 3:18,19 -> "And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.". Heb 4:1 -> "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."

Psychology – A Warning It is important to understand that generalised psychology as a broad subject of systematic enquiry has many roots which have produced a tree of great breadth and height. It has yielded fruits which are food to the natural mind, and is therefore able to make the natural man wise. If this were being written for the natural man it would serve no useful purpose. However if a new creature in Christ reads it and gives thought to the potential of what is being spoken, as well as its reality, then it may produce a good effect. This is because the influence of psychological thinking today, now that the tree is bearing its seasoned fruit, is profound, far reaching, and has serious implications for believers who may be unaware of these things. The subject and application of psychology as social psychology, emphatically represents a union between men and the prince of the power of the air. It is a union which has its roots at the very dawn of this age, in the garden of Eden. For this reason alone I reject psychology and sociology as a valid basis for ministry. They are of an agreement innocently entered into by one man, Adam, and therefore, are implicitly not of God. The fact that so many believers have grounded their ministries in, and make intellectual assertions taken from psychology and sociology, through books of so-called learning, simply demonstrates that they have eaten the seasoned fruit without either comprehending the fruit, the tree, or its roots. If those who “serve” in this way insist that this is not the case then I would say it is because they may yet be of the same root which they drew upon from their youth. In short they are yet mere men. To add to that premise let me say straight forwardly – if you hold another view, or if this admission offends you then turn away, as looking here will serve no purpose for you. I could say that I am grateful for having had an opportunity to study theoretical subjects at university. However this would be a half truth. I discerned a complete mortal contradiction in psychology, criminology and sociology with biblical truth then, in in the 1980’s, and today I comprehend more of its substance. Then it was simply childish faith, today it is a more “patient” man. Then I was willing to speak out, today I am commanded to speak out and must do so without apology, hesitation or let. Therefore if you find this claim of mine to be at odds with your own understanding, and are inclined to press yourself in it with no sense of a need to repent of all that wisdom of men, my advise is depart from here because you will find that you will stumble and fall if you do not. Though you may fall and cry out, it will be found that this man has dug the pit knowingly. With that mind of understanding you can take your choice at your own cost accordingly. Unless you are willing to lay hold of Christ Himself, and at the same time reject the wisdom of men, then there is no benefit whatsoever. The Roots: In speaking of the roots of psychology one can easily say that they range from ancient Greek thinkers in the Graeco-Roman world through to the 19th century when psychology took a very different direction from what may be legitimately identified through ancient and near middle age philosophy and medical anatomical literature, to what is now claimed to be more empirically based in observational psychology. It should be noted that animals as well as human beings are interrelated in this schema, so that dogs, rats and chickens are just as valid observational subjects as are little children. Behavioural psychology believes that what is true for a dog is just as true for a man, at least at a psycho-physiological level. It would seem that psychology has ”grown up” as it were, and now thinks itself sufficiently advanced in scientific methodologies to dispense with its roots in philosophy and cognitive reasoning and has become a pure empirical science, producing theories of human behaviour which are “proven” to be true. This is a deception of course but it suits psychologists to believe this as it sets them in a class of their own, and legitimises their self seeking status as “priests” of behaviour. Despite this maturation, psychology is still an infidel as far as truth is concerned because it is only able to address that which its philosophical roots were able to conceive of, and to which it is irrevocably tied. This being the dichotomy of a man as soul and body, rather than a true understanding arising from Scriptural revelation and knowledge that a man is Spirit, Soul & Body. In my presentation, historical psychology has three principle divisions out of which a fourth can be identified. The fourth being implicit in the formal development of psychology as an independent empirical subject attending to its effect, as well as Satan’s ambition to be worshipped as true God. In balance, one would have to say that psychology is a contributing factor and not the sum of this effect. Other subjects have been cross informed and in their own right have contributed to the wickedness of the day we live in. Western Time Line 1. Graeco-Roman World & European Renaissance 6th Century BC – 14th Century AD 2. Emergent Modern World 14th Century AD – 18th (1774) Century AD 3. Industrial Age 18th Century (1750) AD – 1859 AD 4. Post Industrial – Emergent Post Modern World – The Fullness of Lawlessness. It is important to understand that these time line distinctions are merely to provide a framework for thinking about the subject matter. They do have significance beyond providing a frame work in which to work, but this significance is better drawn out as a separate presentation because it is a spiritual significance and attends to the prince of the power of the air and the god of this world, and not just the world itself. Although it is inevitable that one would have to allude to this “spiritual” implication, the actual business of presenting spiritual truth is better done non-apologetically. The fact that we live in this present age and not in the past demands that we look at the historical claims of psychology to better understand its scope of reason and enquiry. This is because psychology is academically presented today, as having longevity and therefore by implication integrity for asserting that its roots lie in the ancient world where pure science existed and where thoughts about humanity; which is the principle subject of psychology, are empirically, and therefore scientifically valid. It is possible to say that psychology does have its roots in the ancient Roman world with Greek philosophical thinkers, but it would be spurious to say that in essence this claim presented by historical psychology is as valid as the similar claim, that pure science, such as mathematics, physics, or else astronomy are themselves valid. These also have their roots in many of the same thinkers. In fact, it would be necessary to assert emphatically that in so far as the psuche (soul) is concerned, the ancient world was in this regard interested in the soul principally, and by reasonable deduction of the soul in attendance to the physical body, they were also interested in anatomical and philosophical physics. For example; whilst mathematics as a cognitive and empirical science has developed throughout the ages, the basic underlying cognitive reason and subsequent empirical evidence of mathematical theory from the ancient world, still remains true today. It is also true to say that the historical roots of psychology arising from the philosophies of the ancient world, still remain in the air, and are still implicit in every fabric of its foundation, its emphatic denial of the reality of God, and its dichotomous presentation of man as being soul and body, rather than Spirit, Soul & Body. Regarding Pure Science: The Pythagorean Equation is just as true now as it was when it was first expressed. The Pythagorean equation relates the sides of a right triangle in a simple way, so that if the lengths of any two sides are known the length of the third side can be found. Another corollary of the theorem is that in any right triangle, the hypotenuse is greater than any one of the legs, but less than the sum of them. A generalisation of this theorem is the [[law of cosines]], which allows the computation of the length of the third side of any triangle, given the lengths of two sides and the size of the angle between them. If the angle between the sides is a right angle, the law of cosines reduces to the Pythagorean equation. This same empirical and theoretical validity can be seen across all pure sciences and most have their roots in the ancient world. Only technological advances in observational instruments such as varieties of scopes, measuring devices, as well as the use of mechanical computational instruments has made a significant difference in the last 500 years to the breadth and development of pure science, particularly since 1939 and the start of the development of computer architecture. Although all human sciences claim this same integrous link, the true root is a philosophical one and not an emphatic empirical one so far as behavioural psychology is concerned. As a matter of academic reality the claims that early philosophical thinkers were empirically based in physiology is absurd. The Tree It is necessary to recognise that we ourselves must not take our present understanding or else the intended meaning of psychological thinking today precisely from the historical root. What is widely accepted today as legitimate psychology bears almost no resemblance in purpose or character to what was by reason of the subject material (Body & Soul) of the early thinkers in their day. However, psychology does have philosophical as well as empirical roots in the past. This includes ancient as well as renaissance thinkers. In reality I would say that what is called behavioural psychology today did not begin to emerge until the 18th century. This can be principally attributed to Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer. This is a subject in itself and I will post it separately. It is equally necessary to resist a teleological attitude when looking at historical thinkers and writers and attribute to their words modern meanings and understandings. In short, psychology if it is to be proven reasonable, must not falsely draw on ancient philosophies as justification for present claims in the same way pure science can. Nevertheless behavioural psychology was laid on a foundation of beliefs in the ancient world and middle world which had as much to do with Athenian Theism (atheism or the denial of God himself) as it had to do with valid philosophical enquiries in an age in which God Himself had already established the shadow of things to come in the full visibility of the nations (Israel). The distinctions between the four ages I have drawn represent in the first three, distinct ages in continuum, both in human history as well as correspondingly in the development of human sciences as opposed to pure science. This gives rise to a fourth age in which we now live and this age is by my reasoning and calling, the age of the revealing of the man of sin. Intellectually it is called post modernism, in occult circles it is the age of Aquarius and in biblical revelation it is the age of lawlessness. The connection of the ancient world, the renaissance world and the industrial age is implicit by virtue of empirical knowledge taken from ancient philosophers, renaissance contributors and industrial rationalist and thinkers. Whilst these three ages are uniform with regard to their roots in ancient Greek philosophical thinking, and are easily investigated, a conceptual paradigm of thought, by reason of their effect and intentions in each age, has produced an outcome of distinct effect. This forms a “new” paradigm and needs careful analysis. One could say that this fourth effect or paradigm is the age of the Fullness of Rebellion against God. It would be possible to say that the ancient world of Socratic, Platonic and Aristotelian thinking was primarily philosophical and emergent empirical-rational. The renaissance world was philosophical, pseudo-rational as well as emergent-individualistic, and the industrial world was essentially rational, individualistic and increasingly empirically deterministic. These three constructs which I have developed have given rise to the present post industrial world in which we presently live. Everything has changed in the last 60 or 70 years beyond any possible chronological recognition, even taken from the best empirical insights into ancient artefacts and texts. To arrive at an understanding of what is believed today in human sciences, and why it is necessary to comprehend in simplicity the three ages as stated; as well as their links in ancient philosophy in particular, and the subsequent rise of philosophical reason and enlightenment, it is necessary to at least observe the relevant links as claimed by academics themselves as well as to demonstrate that the link is more often in the minds of men, than in true knowledge. The assumption here is that the science of humanity had chronological integrity and validity in the same way pure science has. My simple point being that this is not the case. The Fruit This introduction is not intended to have academic merit. It does not have academic merit nor should anyone imagine it to have. Although I have drawn upon a recollection of resources which are themselves academically competent, it is not my intention to present a particular academic view. The sole purpose is to extract an understanding which would reasonably amount to a way of looking at generalised theories. The motive is to claim that human sciences are not fact in the same way pure science is fact. It is to simplistically draw from the example of pure science the chronological continuity of its substance in human societies across the ages. This is something which cannot be done or said of human sciences other than by reason of the underlying paradigm which philosophy has provided. Human sciences affect our thinking and therefore behaviour, in context of our beliefs about life and self, more than is easily understood. In the end it is to reference this world of darkness and thereby draw attention to the kingdom of light, by exposing the fraudulence of this world, and to declare the wonderful truth and validity of Christ and His Kingdom. Every element of the visible and invisible universe belongs to God. It is only in the vanity of men’s minds that this world is comprehended as light, and in this light, (which is in truth darkness), blackest darkness has taken a fuller position in this age. The outworking is an unchallengeable feeling that man is the centre, and God is completely excluded from this process. If this was simply a matter of understanding the world in which we live, it would be of little merit and would be better set aside in favour of a heart desire to know God’s will and to comprehend His purposes. Indeed for this man, and many others as well, it is already set aside in favour of truth. If such an enquiry however serves to give rise to a need to be taught of God, it will produce a life of obedience. In this we will see that even the very fabric of our bodies and minds are flawed and cannot comprehend God or His ways. We may observe angels and have visions yet these too will not produce obedience or prove a faithful outcome. Grievously, the churches are saturated in worldly thinking, whilst believing that God is unconcerned, and even pleased with our efforts. Until we understand that the world is the darkness, and the light is Christ Himself, in us by faith, we may never see the imperative to repent of that way of thinking, which to our natural minds seems quite reasonable and profitable. Even though we are light in this darkness of the world, if Christ is in us we may still nevertheless walk in the darkness of our natural minds, and never truly know how to walk in the light of Christ. This is not judgement, but discernment. It is not condemnation, but a desire to show mercy and the love of the Father through Christ. It is my assertion that the key to understanding, in a reasonable mind, the deeper truths of faithful sonship, requires the understanding of the truth that a man is made of three distinct yet unified parts. These are Spirit, Soul & Body. The world which we have so easily loved denies this and its denial is implicitly woven into every fabric of western civilisation so that from our first breath we have been taught it. In this sense having been taught of the world we may still walk as of the world and not dress in readiness for the Lord Jesus and His coming kingdom in visibility. The Hope There is coming a day when it will not be necessary to even speak of this world at all because some at least will speak so as to provide an end time compulsion to obedience and true faithfulness according to God’ calling. Until that hour comes we have to settle for the crumbs. May the fullness of time soon be upon us so that we may all know the liberty of the sons of God and the true substance of our purpose and present calling in Christ Jesus, as servants and not lords. If we cannot set aside our affection for that which is enmity with the Father in heaven, we will suffer loss. If we do not receive by way of a heavenly witness the true condition of the flesh and its implications for being yet taught by the prince of the power of the air, we are already suffering loss. That loss of ours is more Christ’s loss because He loved us even unto death in order to purchase us and to preserve us spirit, soul and body until the day of the Lord. Simply speaking the truth will not produce its fruit without obedience. Knowledge will not produce obedience at all. Only the revelation of God will convince us that this world, and all its men, are wrong unless they have spoken according to that which is true according to God and not the ruler of this present darkness. All the men we need to take note of in simplicity are written in the Scriptures and if we read what they were able to write by God’s grace and purposes, we will have sufficiency. In that knowledge, our own spirits will bear witness with our mind’s and our mind will agree to the putting to death of the body by the removal of Christ’s own body on the cross. If not then our very mind and body will be yet evidence of our once father of disobedience and rebellion, even yet working in us. Knowledge is vain if it is not met with a mind of obedience in truth. Written by Rhomphaeam in 2009 to answer a question about the validity of social psychology in ministry.

Beautiful post. I have to translate this for my father. I have been thinking about these subjects for a long time, probably since 2009 when i read The Insanity of Normality. Your post adds plenty. If i'm able, i'll return to this discussion, but if not, i just want to leave my gratitude. Precious, precious, precious text. And very succinct indeed. All publics matter.

The following is something I posted just two weeks after joining this forum: It speaks to your mocking when you assert a claim and then infer a question. You are free to post anything you wish - but regardless as to who we are in life we can never escape our own words. Despite going to a special needs school I have attended Universities and a Theological Seminary - but I count all of that as rubbish to what I gained in Christ. I gained eternal life and my mind. If we are going to assert to others that which is implausible when we ask questions of them and never even answer a simply point - then we are well short of a discerning spirit when the man who is asking has endured more abuse than many and spent 34 years caring for his disabled son and more than four decades caring for others who have lost their minds.

One of the most pernicious undertakings which we have witnessed over the past thirty years or so has been an increasing presentation of Christ to the unsaved in terms which amount to a false gospel. This gospel focuses on individuals’ sufferings in life and presents Christ as a remedy for the pain this suffering has caused. The true Gospel, however, focuses on the sufferings of Christ to redeem wicked and sinful men from the consequence of their sin, and not from the pain of having been sinned against. It is no wonder that in casting such a net of influence countless men and women have embraced the name of Jesus, and yet do not produce any true fruit of repentance. Nor is there any evidence that the meaning, power and consequence of sin is comprehended by these same men and women. The fact that they come into the buildings which bear the name church does not in any way mean that they have come into the true Church. The meaning of the true church is predicated on a life relationship with Christ; not whether you go to church or desire to be seen and understood as a Christian. An Egyptian can be in Goshen, but an Egyptian cannot become a Jew simply by living in Goshen. Clearly, living in Goshen, proved to be an advantage to those Egyptians who chose to live amongst the Jews and put their trust in God on the night of the Passover. If there is any hope at all on this day, then it is in this possibility - that those who are not born again, who dwell in the dominion of the Kingdom of Heaven, by aligning themselves to the Church, will put their trust in Christ, to an effect of being born again.

You mentioned some Egyptians joined themselves among Israel and put their faith in God. This is something that many people do not understand. Most Christians think Israelites were only composed of natural born Hebrew children but this was not the case. Many foreigners joined themselves to Israel. As you mentioned when Israel left Egypt many foreigners joined and left with them. God made provisions to allow foreigners to join Israel and its covenant. Ruth is a good example of a foreigner who joined herself to the Jewish people and became the grandmother of King David and Jesus. Israel was a nation of both natural born and foreigners whom joined themselves to Israel and to their their covenant and laws. Being an Israelite or Jew is more about obedience to the covenant than it was being a natural descendant. In fact, if you were a natural born Israelite but did not keep covenant and its laws you were not considered Israelite and were cut off from Israel and its promises.

So encouraging! Thanks!

That's the subject of a five-part series entitled, "Where Shall I Begin?" Thankfully I'm mindful of the topic, so we won't go there at this time. The apostle of Jesus Christ is our elder in the faith and old friend, given to us by the Lord so boneheads like yours truly might profit from his inspired counsel. I'll amend what I wrote in a different topic: "I cannot recommend the apostle Paul strongly enough!" Well said and I cannot say that I've found myself in that precise situation, counseling a brother to avoid entanglements with unbelievers. I know that I would be exceedingly careful not to misappropriate scripture (like the passage regarding the watchmanship of Ezekiel) to justify bopping my brother upon the head with whatever I come up with. However, I have dispensed counsel to a brother who was obsessed with finding a wife; this obsession was the issue he wrestled with and by virtue of his perceived entitlement in the Lord, his conduct alienated sisters and brothers alike. I advised him to abandon his search with haste, devoting himself to more profitable matters (serving others). If the will and purpose of God is for a brother or sister to marry, then endurance and meekness seems to me to be most prudent course of action. Endurance... whenever I mention this fruit to my old friend Paul (not the apostle, hehe) he responds with, "Amen! I highly recommend endurance!" It would be difficult to speak with a brother about marrying an unbeliever. Hence sober-minded discernment and meekness govern my conduct in the Lord. I read that five-part series and I learned a thing or two, you know. Yes indeed. It might happen in the following way... "I'm absolutely clueless but I happen to know a brother in Christ who specializes in such matters. Here's his card, let me know how it goes." Well said again, brother. Let us take great care in how we deal with our brother or sister, remembering that love should temper our words and deeds in all things. This is also why we ought to know our brother well and why we shouldn't tarry until he's ready to marry an unbeliever. The time for counsel is better suited prior to courtship (if at all possible). Nevertheless I am familiar with more than one brother and sister who married unbelievers, and their testimony is an edifying witness of the power of Christ in the lives of husbands and wives alike. We should be cognizant that we don't always know as we ought to know.

Not in the bible He hasn't But that is not the issue here. You are resisting even a semblance of trying to understand what I would like to say and have said inferentially - and so I have asked you a simple question. You can answer it from the Bible. Was Adam naked when he hid from God. That is not a complex question is it?

Bless you Miss Muffet - no I haven't had any bad experiences with psychologists. They stay well clear of me. But is that to be it - are we to have no more than polite mockery?

This following is the neurophysiological schematic for the fight or flight mechanism in man. Auditory, visual and olfactory, stimuli are relayed by the Thalamus to the Amygdala and Cerebral Cortex. The Amygdala also receives contextual information from the Hippocampus. After processing of the emotional stimuli, the central nucleus of the Amygdala activates the nucleus of the Pons which triggers a noradrenaline response as well as stimulating the Hypothalamic nuclei. The stria terminalis (brainstem) or the extended Amygdala also acts as a control centre for the noradrenaline uptake response by integrating information from both the Amygdala itself as well as the Hippocampus. The central nucleus of the Amygdala is responsible for activating the Vagus Nerve in the Medulla (characteristically increased heart rate and raised blood pressure), In finality, the Frontal Cortex formulates cognitive responses which serve to modulate ongoing physiological responses. Fight, Fight or Paralysis It is taken from page 142 of a book I wrote called Deepening Shadows. So I have asked was Adam naked when he hid. (Flight) That question has to do with a psychophysiological reality that is evidenced in Adam when he said I was afraid. Its not one thread of an answer but numerous threads that need to be drawn if one is going to explain why psychology is a worthless endeavour in Christian Ministry and hence a - WARNING

This verse is just one of many that can help to flesh out a proper view on the subject. Paul preached to men who believed it was wrong to eat certain animals which were considered to be unclean by certain Jews. These were old testament precepts and were later overridden. According to old Jewish laws it was wrong to eat these unclean animals. Practicing Orthodox Jews have not changed in what they believe. We find a lot of situational ethics whenever men decide to make all the rules. Who is to say what is or is not to the glory of God in eating or drinking? What you may think is holy eating and drinking to the glory of God our brother or sister might disagree with. Aside from the obvious things i.e. gluttony and drinking too much, what is the universally accepted standard for diet? I dare say many people aren't aware of everything they put in their mouths. Yes the box said it was apple pie, you bought the mass produced pie, but how many care to read the other ingredients in there? Have you ever examined a box of children's cereal to see what's in it? Manufacturers are slipping all kinds of things into our food we aren't often aware of. Anyone who has been to a birthday party or a wedding probably ate some cake. Is cake good for you? No. How many people were sitting in the corner in protest saying they wanted to glorify God by not eating the cake? How many people were glaring the meanie look across that table at us if we ate dessert after our meal? Eating dessert does not glorify God. I'm just making the point here. It's a thin line. The body is a large part of our old sinful nature and our body often wants things it should not have. There are also plenty of people who are ignorant about their food. They just buy it and eat it because it's what was available. They have never cared to look at what they intake in detail. Sometimes I wonder if that is totally possible with everything. Our bodies are a thing entrusted to us to take care of. We are stewards of our bodies, same as we are entrusted to take care of everything God gives us. I do my best to take vitamins and eat right. Once again though, my "eating right" does not look the same to everyone. I might think it's ok to have a donut once a month. You may not.

I used to really believe this was true. But it invokes a works salvation (to get saved, to stay saved, or to prove to others we are saved). Jesus said unless you come as little children (who simply believe / accept) you cannot enter life. He said the work of God is to believe the one he has sent. He said the Father loves us because we believe he (Jesus) is come out of God. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. He hid behind his wife twice, sired Ishmael, etc. David was a man after God's own heart... look at what he did. Moses murdered the Egyptian... I mean, I don't want to go down a list of bashing these pillars of faith but to show these high and lofty legalist definitions of belief / faith do not square with scripture. John 3:16-18 mentions nothing about works or the appearance of belief. Only belief or unbelief. Ephesians 2:8-10 specifically forbids works theology but rather we are Christ's workmanship and Christ's alone. The faith chapter (Hebrews 11) begins each entry with "by faith" ... By faith Christ was able to do these works through them... is how this should be understood. As I said, I used to parrot the traditionalist view of salvation and I have since learned it is a way to steer people away from salvation and to control followers depriving them of salvation and the individual priesthood / ministry we are all given as believers in Christ (Revelation 1:6 / Revelation 5:10 / 1 Peter 2:3-9). I am not faulting any one individual. It is the system the organized religion masquerading as the Church that causes division and deceit depriving us of true salvation to follow after the traditions of man we most agree with. Jesus prayed 3 times in John 17 that we in the Church be one as the Father and he are one. Look around for yourselves. Is the traditional Church one?

There is no salvation in veganism ... Colossians 2:20 If ye died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye submit to ordinances, 21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch 22 (all which are to perish with the using), after the precepts and teachings of men? 23 Which things are such as have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but of no value against indulgence of the flesh. 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (ESV)

God wants us to stay in that place of recognizing that we can't do it. We need His grace and His help. We can never be good enough, have enough faith, love, patience etc. We are unable to live the Christian life. Only Jesus can do that, and we need to crucify self to allow Him to live in us. We even need God's help to do that. The answer is to be sensitive to God's Spirit to lead us, one step at a time, and to walk in the Spirit. It takes us from Romans 6, O wretched man that I am, to Romans 7, Thanks be to God there is now now condemnation to those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. WALK. One step at a time.

For 4 years I had lost sleep praying for my husband's salvation. Finally he had started attending church for a few months. Then one day he told me that God had never done anything for him so he was going to go out some night and not tell me what he was doing or where he was going. I asked him " What do you mean God has never done anything for you! Have you ever asked God to forgive you?" No, he said. Then you haven't got to first base! Nevertheless he went out that night not telling me a word. I lay in bed weeping before the Lord, confessing that He could use whatever hubby was doing to bring about his salvation. Much later he came into the room muttering "Well, I did it," You did what? I asked. " I asked Him to help me. We'll see if it's real!" That was exactly my response. Going to church doesn't make it real. Repeating a prayer doesn't make it real if it is just going through the motions. Only God knew if it was real. It was.

Are you ready to receive the Creator’s berating? • Pro 15:31 -> “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.”. Nobody likes to take in scolding. Nevertheless, we need to believe that everything that comes about us is from the Creator for our welfare: • Isa 55:3 -> “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”. Recollect that the admonishing of the Creator is for being partakers of His holiness (Heb 12:10,11) and, thus, being able to bear fruit to Him: • Joh 15:2-4 -> “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” It isn’t in vain that the Holy Scripture says: • Pro 25:12 -> “As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.”. Therefore, the best for us is: • Pro 19:20 -> “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.”. After all: • Pro 13:20 -> “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”. However: • Pro 9:8,9 -> “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”. Not to mention that the Creator promises: • Pro 1:23 -> “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”. Therefore: • Pro 15:5 -> “A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”. Finally, who belongs to the Creator hears His words (John 8:47) in order to draw on to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Who rejects the reprimand don’t belong to Jesus: • 1Jn 2:19 -> “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”. So, have a nice day receiving in meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save our souls (James 1:21).

What you have posted is exactly what I was referring to. I have never been very good at giving all my working (my maths teachers used to complain that I would just give the answer to a question, without showing how I reached it). Some people say too much, but I tend to say too little. This is one example of why we all need each other...

Jesus is ruling and reigning NOW! Yes, there are people and demons committing evil, but only as the Lord has decreed to happen.

I knows you think you are alone but I also believe you are smart enough to know this is not true. Here you are on this forum with people praying for you. Sometimes being with others is not just in physical form. I am sure you pray for others here on Worthy and here we are praying for you and asking the Lord to bring you peace, hope and joy. Many of us are alone at this season of life, without much interaction with other human beings. It is a season none of us have ever experienced before in life. Everything is different on earth these days. For myself, every single day I have to seek the Lord and ask for a measure of joy. Joy does not mean happiness. It means thankfulness. I have a roof. I have food. I have clothes. I have heat. I have electricity. All of my physical needs are being met. My emotional and mental needs are up to me to keep a handle on with assistance from the Holy Spirit. I recently heard a saying that "time is short but eternity is not". Eternity is only an option for a person who loves Jesus and accepts him as savior. When we accept Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit comes to help and comfort us. How are you and the Holy Spirit doing these days? Are you allowing Him to be in you and a part of you? Do you feel the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, in you? Acts of the Apostles 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 2 Timothy 1:14 (NLT) Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. For months now the Lord has been speaking to me about being still and holding tight to the promises he has made to those who follow him. When King David was stuck living in caves he made it out with the help of God. Sometimes we have to be patient and wait for the Lord to lead us to the places and people he chooses. Sometimes it's hard to remember we are here on earth for others and not for ourselves. Sometimes we are human and get down. Jesus knows and he is always by our side to give us comfort and wisdom to endure the storms. I hope any of these words help you to know that you are not truly alone. I'll pray for you and I hope you will pray for me!

How do you stay strong during a storm? With God.

A word to the wise: succinctness and simplicity will be read and absorbed far more than this kind of post, by most people.

Hi Prc. I was a Catholic for a long time till a faithful Christian shared the gospel to me and my wife. It took me a good many months to fully understand the true Gospel of the word, and the essential doctrines I needed to learn. I was so upset having never heard in the Catholic Church the gospel, the true gospel, and have a burden for any Catholic who wants to know the truth. Whenever we share the word of God, it will not return void. I recall hearing from a good Mentor that I should not allow the faults in my life I haven't cleaned up yet to stop me from sharing the good news with the lost and dying world, giving the enemy victory. Every believer that I personally know heard the good news from a sinner, that were saved by grace.

I don't think it amounts to the mark of the beast....at least not yet. But I do think the numbers and severity of the pandemic is being overblown. In fact there is much evidence for it. https://www.bitchute.com/video/CEGryi0kxzWC/

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 16:1 A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Psalm 40:17 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

Sound doctrine is not determined by popularity. Sound doctrine is determined by the unadulterated Word of God. Itching ears gives credibility to the things we wish were true without regard for revealed truth.

We are all works in progress.

Know that God is perfect.. It's easy to trust in someone that is perfect..

"Come, let us reason together". When Jacob/Israel wrestled he wanted a blessing. When we wrestle with the Lord we may indeed get a blessing - but walk away with a limp.

Well said for it is those with pride that refuse to humble themselves and simply believe the gospel once delivered to the saints.

By being humble Not to proud to express our need and dependence on God 1 Peter 5: 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

@Hopefully Children are innocent and accept life as it comes, because they don't know any better. They have no fear most of the time because their parents love them, and do all they can to make the children's life safe. When we grow up, we must learn that all over again with our heavenly father, because life for many of us isn't safe anymore, and we must learn to let God be in control, and for many of us that is a challenge almost beyond us sometimes. For me, very difficult as for many, but God is there to help us learn, and find peace.

I find that a hard question to answer. Maybe it's because children are humbler than adults.

A child is much more accepting of things they cannot see, and that's what most people focus on. But I think it is as much, if not more, about the helplessness of children. The Greek word for children (paidion) in this passage often refers to the youngest of children. Think of toddlers; we must admit our utter dependence on Christ, just as toddlers are utterly dependent on their parents to provide for their every need. We cannot, to any degree, save ourselves, or offer anything worthy to God on our own.

That is what I see in that verse.

I'm guessing Jesus DID rest on the sabbath, but sometimes emergencies arose and his help was needed on the sabbath.

Hi Tony! Praise the Lord that your desire is obedience to God! I pray continually for a heart that is eager to obey the Lord, and He continues to transform my heart and desires to be more like His. Spiritual life is as real to me as physical life. I've found that the closer I am to God the more creative the enemy gets with attacking me. The war is real, but thank God, the God of angel armies, we do not have to fight alone. AND, we know who wins in the end!

Those under the teaching of Peter also had the baptism of the Holy Spirit and were part of the Church. The church started in Acts 2. Those baptized by John may not have been a part of the Church since they later had hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit. Those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit belong to God. Rom 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Are you saying that Paul, and only Paul, knew the truth, and that the other epistle writers should not be believed? If so, I disagree.