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I thought to relate something similar as your experience regarding dreams/nightmares, and speaking truth to the enemy in the dream. I used to have nightmares about tornadoes (we had them occasionally when I lived in Ohio as a kid, and off we'd go to the shelter). The dreams started with one tornado coming towards me. The next time there were three tornados in my dream. The numbers of tornados kept increasing in subsequent dreams, until eventually, one night the whole horizon was completely filled with tornados . . . YIKES! And I would also have dreams about evil beings coming after me. But one day I realized that I could call on the name of Jesus in the dream, and the tornados and monsters all would vanish immediately! After that they would then try to keep me from speaking as if a most fearful spell was over my mouth making me unable to talk. But even if I just whispered in the lowest voice in my dream, "Lord Jesus help me" they would quickly vanish. Once I learned the power of speaking His name in my dream, I haven't had a nightmare in maybe a decade or more!

Thanks for sharing and I enjoyed each "milestone" you conveyed! I've heard similar testimonies as the one you related about the taxi driver . . . the Lord knows their time is near and just wants them to be saved - what love & mercy! The experience with the demon possessed woman sounds right - it would try to seduce you first (bringing you into bondage too), then failing that, try to kill you. The airplane vision was most remarkable too! Early in my Christian walk, I had some supernatural experiences, so I'm aware there's much going on we don't see. I don't usually share many of these experiences, as while others may find them interesting, they often may just want to change the subject. Occasions in which I've experienced the Anointing speaking specific things directly in and to me, others seem to be more open to hearing about.

You raised a lot of good points in your post. I liked it. The way we go about marriage these days is certainly different, and I personally feel like the way our culture looks at it is a contributing factor in so many marriages failing. I will say that as an idiot teenager I got pretty close to a girl who was heavily into drugs and was going through an occult phase. It hurt a lot when we broke up but after seeing how she turned out years later... wow. I can't help but feel like God intervened and let me dodge a bullet there.

OK. I see what you mean and agree. It would be subjective to others because it is personal---a personal relationship in which God interacts with as who we are as individuals? And subjective because it cannot be objectively defined? Personally--- I don't see how anyone could be joined to Christ and have it be a cold scientific experience based in the mind, but I suppose it can be. To me the things of Christ are comprehended with the mind. They must be. But from the mind, as we grasp ahold of them they penetrate the heart as well. It is a relationship between the Most Holy God and the individual. To me it is so personal that He knew my name, He knew me (and died for me anyway!) when He hung on that cross, was buried, and when He rose again. I truly died and rose again with Him. He did it for me! And that is true for everyone who is in Him. So how can it be or remain cold and distant? is what I would think. I would enjoy hearing specifics from your life. I wrote of one in my life in a different thread concerning rain and growing up and the book of Job. And that was God speaking to me and teaching me and I never doubted that. But He did it right directly out of His word, with the "Were you there---" as He began speaking to Job, and Job's "I have heard of you, but now I have seen you. I abhor myself." It was close to forty years ago, I remember it like yesterday, and it still brings me to tears at the amazing love and closeness of God to us, this God who sees, and hears, and knows.

If the Holy Spirit is meant to lead us to the truth, then how come there are so many disagreements in Christianity over things like salvation, heaven and hell, the rapture, the second coming, etc.? Because people believe and follow the traditions of man rather than the interpretation of the scriptures by the Holy Spirit who wrote them through the writing prophets. 2 Peter 1:20–21 (know this first) Jesus warned that the traditions of man nullify the scriptures (Mark 7:13) and make even the worship of him in vain (Mark 7:7). Yet most of Christendom is steeped in human tradition, human interpretation of the scriptures. Proverbs 14:12 / Proverbs 16:25 / Matthew 16:23 / John 8:41–45 also indicate how evil and foolish the thinking and ways of man are.

Many have had experiences in the Lord which defy the ordinary but being products of this day and age in which we are born, there's an inculcated resistance to spiritual matters which translates into formidable doubt. There's also the matter of this question we ask ourselves, "Would sharing the testimony profit anyone who hears (or reads)?" Some might find this (ironically) difficult to accept, but not only is the Lord aware of the ramifications underlying our upbringing in this day and age, but He is also compassionate toward us regarding this doubt we wrestle with. I struggled with doubt from the beginning, brother. I heard the voice of the Lord when I didn't know Him, and I knew who He was right away. He is God; the God I didn't know but whom I spoke to anyway, never believing He either heard me nor would notice someone insignificant like myself. It just wasn't possible. Brainwashing. Yep, we've all been brainwashed into believing that such things aren't possible so when the Lord does the impossible, we're stunned senseless at having witnessed this! That was me when the Lord revealed Himself. I was dumbfounded. When the Spirit spoke, declaring what would come to pass and what I would do, I was astounded. Did I believe Him? Of course I did, but at the same time I was in a state of... "Why are You speaking to me? How do I know that You are God? How is this possible?" I believed the Lord in spite of that stupendous doubt. I was a mess. So, this explains why I both understand and feel great compassion toward those who haven't found themselves blown away by the Lord (in a manner of speaking). I get it!

There is no possible justice for a conservative in a D.C. court, where the jury pools are overwhelmingly made up of leftists. Not to mention the judges. The only possible fair trial could have been if the change of venue plea would have been granted. Fat chance of that in D.C.

I am very happy that this subject matter has been dealt with in a Christ-like manner and I suspect it has been edifying to the readers. Praise the Lord! Such is not always the case.

@Wayne222 When I taught in Christians schools [for a brief time], I would explain to my junior high students the following about being unequally yoked - When you put the yoke on the oxen or donkeys or cows or even camels - they are now bound together. Whether it's dating or marriage or business ventures or church planting or just about any union that includes spiritual purposes, then both parties need to have similar spiritual goals and beliefs about where God wants to lead them. If one of the parties is spiritually weak, lazy, lost, worldly, or has any other UNADDRESSED spiritual flaw, then it's like the two oxen above. That wagon ain't going anywhere. Even if both oxen are standing, if one is interested in going to the right and the other, the left, the wagon isn't going anywhere. Or if both want to go to the right, but one has a game back leg or is too weak to pull the wagon, then the wagon may just go in circles. If Christians understand this, they MUST marry Christians. But if they don't give it a thought and marry a non-believer, don't divorce. The Bible addresses how to deal with a non-believing spouse.

Ha, bad habit of mine, developed I guess through decades of making errors on my own using my own reasoning without first reading and then studying the word ( the Bible) and then praying for guidance of God for historic and present application of what I have read in the Bible. Mostly I must confess, I have found the Bible to be the reveal of Jesus ( Yeshua) , with the mercy of God from everlasting to everlasting extended to even me, more so than an instruction manual for every little detail of my existence. When I first saw that 15 year old Girl Scout Troop leader in her green Girl Scout uniform with all those merit badges on her sash, I was smitten with lust to be with her. And that was that! Did it fail because she as always the smarter and the stronger of the hitched up team? Nope, lasted for 46 years till death did us part. Young very young attraction led to long term determined love, one for another through thick and thin. So rules of/for marriage? Eh, God can fix it whatever is the problem, and He did many a time as we pulled our own life's wagon.

I once pondered this. A popular radio preacher explained it like this: God is consistent in his nature and dealings with man. Like sunlight. Man on the other hand is inconsistent in nature and dealings with God (like the difference between a heart of wax and a heart of clay). The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. Moses heart was wax toward God while Pharaoh's heart was clay.

I may be totally off base in my thinking, as I have zero qualifications, but I have thoughts and opinions, right or wrong. We do not fight against flesh and blood but the principalities and powers of darkness. The following is a list of what demons do: They work in numbers - Matt 12:45 They work as a team; they know the power of unity - Eph 6:12 Demons persecute - Rev 12:13 They prevent service - 1 Thess 2:18 Demons disturb the church - 2 Cor 2:10-11 They cause trouble - Judges 9:23 Cause selfishness and division in the church - James 3:13-16 Cause mental disorders - Luke 8:27-29 Cause irrational behavior - Luke 8:27-29 Cause suicidal mania - Mark 9:22 Inflict illness - Matt 9:33, Luke 13:11-16 Inflict physical harm - Acts 19: Possess animals - Mark 5:13 Promote false doctrine - 1 Tim 4:1 Spirit behind False Prophets - 1 Kings 22:21-23 Influence nations - Isa 14:; Dan 10:13; Eze 28:; Rev 16:13-14 [geopolitical] Possess unbelievers - Matt 9:32; Mark 6:13 There are no mentions of necromancy, lunatics, demons, unclean spirits, or evil spirits before Noah’s flood. When Jesus walked the earth, demons were a big problem possessing people and animals. Jesus and the apostles probably exorcised many more legions than recorded. I have no reason to think the problem is any better today; however, I suspect it is much worse. Most people today know secular science, therapy, and medicine are based on evolution theory. There is no God, therefore, no Satan, demons, evil, or fallen angels. I have watched many prison documentaries and interviews with convicted heinous evil criminals. With many of them, the only word that comes to mind to describe them is “possessed.” In prison, their bodies, conduct, and minds are attempted to be controlled by drugs, experimenting with what works best and adjusting. It is all classified as mental illness and behavioral disorders. Even if secular medicine and therapists believed in demonic possession, how would they diagnose mental illness from demonic possession and treat it? Can we imagine the field day NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and the liberals would have if someone started exorcising demons as part of medical and rehabilitation treatments? Even if such a program were established and successful, that void would have to be filled with the Holy Spirit to prevent a reoccurrence along with their many buddies: Matthew 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. As far as I know, the Catholic Church is the only denomination that has a division dealing with exorcism. If accepted, there are stringent protocols, and every other physical and mental possibility must be professionally ruled out before their intervention. It is said an exorcism can do more harm than good if they have a mental illness. If the person levitates, starts speaking in Latin, or knows things about someone they have no way of knowing, I suppose that is a dead giveaway. As I mentioned, these are just some of my thoughts.

Blessings Arial Amen!Funny,I do like KJV though I usually parallel read with quite a few versions ....I rarely see such awful differences in translations,nothing that cannot be reconciled easily enough by studying full context ( that is often a problem,isn't it? Picking verses out of context!) Anyway,Enjoyed your posts- the crux of the matter is indeed that Salvation cannot be earned by keeping promises,vows or any way at all except the WAY,the One Way,the Truth & the Life!!!! Thanks for your contributions Sister With love in Christ, Kwik

Didn't Paul also start by writing a preamble that stated he wished all were as himself? There are lots of commands of God, and there are some guidance provisions too. Paul was allowed to speak his own opinion as well, least that is what he states he was doing on occasion mentioned by him. Thing is the young fall in lust, not love. And as Paul tells the fathers of young virgins- better to allow them to marry than to burn with desire. Young people simply do not have the love that is resulting of a union of 20 , 30, 40 or more years together. It is just as hard to remain together for a Christian couple as it is for any other couple. Statistics by Barna Group show it is more difficult for Christian couples; there being a higher rate of divorce among Christian couples than is in the general population. Wanna kick against the gourdes, just try to tell a young couple that they cannot marry. Lots of luck to you on that one. Might want to also keep in mind that at one time marriages were arranged affairs, unions most often made by parents about their children from birth on to a very early age- for the then current and future benefit of the families involved. Also some marriage arrangements were for political reason or for enlarging kingly realms. There simply was no "dating". There was betrothal for a year, that could include marital privilege of the couple.Hey isn't that a trial "marriage" of sorts? ??? Try to make all that fit into todays circumstances that most individuals face as real life today. Again, lots of luck on that.

If what you are talking about is works righteousness then I agree with you. After all this time it now looks like that is what you have been trying to say. That message was completely lost by making it about what version of the Bible a person is using and the KJV being superior, the others changing the message. Since you made that your premise and focus, that was what I was debating against. The simple fact that we can not earn our salvation by making and keeping promises was completely lost in the mud. Why make it about Bible translations?!

I was musing about this conversation this morning and this exchange came to mind….. “Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. “You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.” (John 14:8–31 NAS95)

I understand where @Alive is coming from. Indeed, many of us have received what some call "the living word" which is, to my understanding, hearing the voice of the Lord. Hearing His voice was how the Lord called me from this world from seemingly out of blue, and the way in which the Spirit of God set me on that path to coming to the Son of God who received me as His own. There's this notion afoot that one who hears His voice claims some kind of superior knowledge or revelation as a result, but that's not true at all. That there are some who do in fact make such a claim of superior knowledge or revelation doesn't in any way silence the Lord, who is not accountable to any man. Behold the testimony of scripture wherein we learn whom the Lord chooses: not the wise or mighty of this world but rather the ignoble... the lowly... to make both the wise and mighty foolish in His sight. I find it distressing to point out that the Lord God is not an oracle who props up a man so that he might receive the admiration or approval of his peers. There is nothing subjective whatsoever about the work of Jesus Christ in us, but His work is indeed individually-oriented which involves raising us up by His hand and equipping us to walk in the manner He ordained for us. Our work is not about self-enrichment or prosperity! We serve others in all that we do just as the Son of Man serves us all. The Lord equips each of us to edify and build up His Body... to serve our neighbor in this world... and to show forth that which He has given to us all: Himself. We are not all the same, but we serve the same Lord. The same Lord moves upon each of us individually as it pleases Him. Being a recipient of the Lord's discipline, I know very well how He deals with me swiftly if and when I pull a boneheaded stunt. I thought I was a smart guy. Turns out that I'm a dunce. I thought I was strong, so I became weak and disabled. I was an excellent speaker with the "gift of gab," so I lost the ability to speak for a while. All I could manage to say was "yes" or "no." I had to lose everything except for the life in this body (I came close to losing that, too). Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

You clearly do not live in the real world where people of very different views mix. Are there no couples in your church where they married as non Christian and after marriage one became christian? Do there marriages fail, do they cease walking with God? Non christian friends, wow what a small world you live in. So when Easter and Christmas come round, when your church does a men's meeting you have no non Christian ' friends ' to invite. Ever noticed that it was the pharisees who add rules and laws onto God's commandments. We are to imitate Jesus the ' friend ' of sinners

Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

I will jump in. :-) Yes, I agree. Further, I think that over the centuries there have been all kinds of doctrinal errors in the wind. Some folks latched on to one or more and over time, they became high towers to them. Where such high towers became in part, or defining in part the identity of the indivudal. These high towers do not come down easily. If one studies the writings of the various Reformers, its clear just how Rome affected them. In some things, they had not yet even become aware...as an example.

I agree with what you say about the historical creeds. People confuse their own mind and thoughts with the Holy Spirit speaking to them, so that whatever comes to mind they consider the Holy Spirit, without bothering to check if they are creating contradictions within the scriptures, or contradictions in God (which they are often doing both those things.) We don't do the work. The creeds however are the result of many doing the work of presenting doctrine from a unity within the scriptures, a consistency of it's message throughout, and never violating the character or self revelation of God. And then in those churches that did use these creeds, and those that still do, they teach what is in the creeds from the Bible. Starting very early in a child's life. That has almost completely left the modern church and therein lies the problem. A huge number of pastors (shepherds) do not have sound doctrine and are not required to. I have debated with unitarians and those who deny saved by grace through faith alone, those who do not believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity but some type of God force in them, who consider Him a what and always say "given/have holy spirit, who sincerely believe that it is the Holy Spirit who has told them these falsities. Those who deny some of the very doctrines that define what Christianity is uniquely from all other religions, and still call themselves Christians. That being said, there are things in the Bible that must be understood correctly---those things dealing with the person and work of Christ that lead to salvation---and things such as eschatological views that do not pertain to one's salvation. But even in these things, there is only one truth, and that is the truth according to God. There may be more than one application of a passage, but only one truth. So of those things which are still a mystery to us as to the detail, no one should ever consider that the Holy Spirit revealed to them whatever it is they believe, but acknowledge it is how they see it.

There is (depending on what you call "objective") but most Christians don't know how to, don't want to, or just avoid considering it because they have something different in their secret and innermost desires. It is also important to consider that different people may receive different "interpretations" that are not necessarily wrong in themselves even if they seem to be in conflict with one another but are limited to what they are given to understand. Like the blind men describing the elephant they examined, none of them were wrong but none of them could see the whole picture and describe the whole elephant.

Hello JimmyB (and others reading): Well, yes, you are probably right about me making generalizations, so I am sorry for what I said making those generalizations. I have no way of knowing EVERY politicians background and philosophy. Nor do I know that ALL of them have not worked or been productive in any way (although some have not). As Christians, we are to avoid speaking evil of our rulers, so I generalized instead of naming names, which is easier to do, but not useful here in Worthy No . . . I did not quote 'sources' regarding liberal indoctrination, because being myself a product of public 'higher' education, I had to weed out of my thinking much of what I paid good money to learn, and then after being saved, had to UNLEARN. So . . . I was making an generalization based on my experiences (which many others in my circles of influence have experienced). Remember, part of this thread is a 'rant' in its nature, and I saw it as an opportunity to 'rant' about what I see as an cancer in the USA that is taking us down a 'rat hole of humanistic philosophy' so to speak. You may not like my view point, but, I have been watching this happen for the last 40 years, and I will freely admit that it makes me frustrated beyond words. So . . . having said that . . . I am very interested in your 'fact checking' abilities, and your explanation concerning where our politicians are getting their humanistic / socialistic ideas and stupid public policies from. They did not just wake up one day and start ruling in absurd socialistic illogical ways. They learned it somewhere and they did not learn it from the Bible or Church (unless it is a liberalistic church) I am teachable on this and so I would like to hear your explanation of where our leaders are getting their godless ideas and policies from . . . Ray . . .

I'm not sure. We are getting some slightly warmer weather now. Would be nice to see some eggs. P.S. I just checked the update from May 5 and read about their nest activities and chasing, yelling at the Ravens! https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagles-updates/

With so many 'antichrists' running around, wolves in sheep clothing, those who love the Lord with their lips and not with their hearts, how do you REALLY know? I married a man who SAID he didn't believe in God, yet the last book he held, the last words he read before he died, were the words of God. THANK GOD I allowed 'a relationship' to begin, got to watch a new fellowship with the Lord. I still remember the last time I EVER said to him, 'You don't believe in the Lord anyway' and his quite pronounced reaction. It was beautiful to witness... Some souls have upbringings that make belief in God all but impossible. What they hear in the churches only serves to confirm their feelings. It is not until they hear Gods TRUTH they hear the calling of God...he was one of those, hard and crusty on the outside, all tender and gooey on the inside. A totally perfect and deeply flawed son of God, way better than I.

I've heard you say the Lord will not stand upon the earth. You say scripture is false. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. You say scripture is a lie. Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. Just remember ,this is not my word.its Gods word.So if you say it is a lie then you are calling God a lier.

Praise the Lord!

Thats the people who made US 20 trillions debt. The tax is supposed to be returned to poor citizen but they actually rob the poor. https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/291224-us-budget-is-a-theft-from-the-poor/

Roman 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

5-6-23 Thankful Hearts Luke 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. Love, Walter and Debbie

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! Proverbs 25:25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Hello CapWalker, (Can you edit your post and leave the curse word out?) I absolutely believe that alcohol can bring spirits out of control,that is why we have to filled with the Holy Spirit at all times and test the spirits so we stay in control. At the same time Timothy was told to take a little wine for his stomach which probably meant no more than a quarter cup if needed. Galatians 5:22–23 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,4 drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do5 such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Ephesians 5:18 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water only, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent illnesses. Alcohol in moderation is allowed in the Bible but not if you can't handle it..

Maybe it would be wise to keep in mind that as more is revealed more understanding develops.

This subject merits some deep consideration in respect to the Word. 2Co 6:14 -15 "You are not the same as those who don't believe. So don't join yourselves to them. Good and evil don't belong together. Light and darkness cannot share the same room. How can there be any unity between Christ and the devil? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" (ERV) It is human nature to adopt the ways of those we seek association with, to become like them.

Well they both arrived in the dark and worked on the nest for a while ...together for a change with no fighting !!!!! but still no eggs . Is it too late in the season now ???

The Lord loved us even when we were enemies of God. He gave Himself for our sake before we were even born. What does the royal law mean? Love your neighbor as yourself so long as your neighbor meets with your approval? Not so. We can be a friend to anyone in this world, brother. This does not mean that we do as others do but rather, that we walk in those good works Christ created us to do. I have witnessed more than one shunned and reviled by Christians respond to simple kindness and a helping hand. Indeed, the Lord sent me to them --- or them to me --- for that very reason. I haven't forgotten where I came from and where I was when the Son of God snatched me away from this world.

The Bible doesn't record Jesus healing anyone with diabetes, gallstones, or kidney disease either. But it does say that he healed a LOT of people. Not all of the disorders were specifically named.

5-5-23 Hebrews 24-25 Hebrews 10:24-25 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Yes, I agree; there were terrible human rights atrocities with moral lapses by the government. Much of it was attributed to the idea of manifest destiny, and I cannot recall how some derived the idea that we were destined and blessed to become a great nation. Still, large segments of the population opposed slavery and became a component of the War Between the States. The genocide, treatment, broken treaties, and relocations of Native Americans were atrocities. Again, probably justified as manifest destiny, bigotry, racism, and superiority. I find this interesting about the government back then and the above exclusions: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed [1] Are we to be held accountable generations removed for people's wrongs and pay reparations we had no part in for this generation's so-called "victims"? As I mentioned, the Bible does not condemn slavery or indentured servitude, and the Bible describes how servants are to serve their masters. In the NT Onesimus comes to mind. [1] The Declaration of Independence. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Bible Software, 1998. Print.

I discussed it all. You confuse disagreeing with you with not discussing. It indicates a not listening on the part of the one receiving the discussion. I think you are dead wrong about what you say Jesus is talking about in those scriptures. I think you apply scriptures and apply them wrongly, to other scriptures on an entirely different subject. You are dividing the word, which is understandable I guess since the KJV says we are to do that. Ha, ha, ha. Well, brother, one has to correctly understand what He is saying. Those scriptures all by themselves do not support whatever you say Jesus is saying but what He is actually saying. That is not why they hunger for more of God. And in fact those involved in what you say are not hungering for more of God but more than God---more than what He has given us. Mostly however it is done in ignorance. The rest of your post is just more scripture quoting and applying it to nothing.

I know what I say about this will be in vain where you are concerned. In fact I have said it before and it isn't even considered or looked at. That is the problem when we get so invested in our own viewpoint that we become as deaf as idols made of wood to the words or ideas of others. Heaven forbid we see we may have been wrong, let alone ever admit it publicly. And it is common, that old man alive and well inside us. And the KJV is not the only translation that says "yoke of bondage or slavery." The only ones I have found that don't are paraphrases and even then the are not changing the meaning. But what makes you combine Gal 5:1 with Numbers 30:2? They are not even talking about the same thing. You make them to be simply by the fact that a form of the word "bond" occurs in both. That is not handling the Word correctly but rather dividing it. Why do you say circumcision is the smallest letter of the Law? (Plus "entitled" is not the correct word, but rather "obligated". Using it as a means of salvation puts one under the whole Law and out from under grace.) Paul is not talking about making oaths he is dealing with an issue that confronted the Galatians. There were Jews and Judaizers infiltrating saying that yes Christ is the Savior but He is nothing unless you are also circumcised. They were presenting a Christ who was not sufficient. It was hard for them to let go of the Law. Paul is saying if you think that it is necessary to do any part of the Law in order to be saved, then you must keep the whole Law. The liberty is being out from under the Law, and therefore out from under its curse. Faith in Christ alone. ANd it is the Law that was a yoke of bondage that no one could carry, because it had to be kept perfectly and as sinners we cannot do that. There were laws concerning oaths and vows in the OT and they had to do with making a vow to God. But that is not what Paul was talking about and it does not prohibit all oaths and vows. We see Paul himself making them. It does not make null and void what was said in the second verse. You have simply misunderstood Matt 5:33-37 and carry that misunderstanding all the way through the rest of scripture. You misunderstand what Paul is even speaking about in Gal 5 because of the poor wording of the KJV in Matt without bothering to justify what you think it is saying with the rest of scripture to see if maybe it is the wording that is off. Look at this and then continue promoting that what you say is correct. "So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews" (Acts 18:18-19)

When you make your first statement here you are combining two ideas put forth in scriptures that are not combined in these passages. That of instruction about making oaths and the danger of not keeping those oaths ("we do not know what tomorrow will bring") and making whatever we use to validate our integrity binding. The other being that it is God who does a good work in us. The second is not why Jesus is saying what He says but you make it to be. Also because you rely solely on the KJV and its antiquated language you reach a conclusion that verse 33 is saying we are not to make oaths to God (and to God is the issue here) or any oaths or promises at all I guess. That is because the wording in the KJV says "thou shalt not forswear thyself." Which when you think about it makes no sense, that we should never make vows to God or any vows whatsoever. And if that is the case, that the KJV is correct in its wording, then all the other translations are wrong, not just the CEV. NKJV Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord." ESV Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' NASB Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.' It is more about lying or not keeping vows we make to the Lord than anything else. And when He says what He does in verse 36 followed by 36 (Let your yes be yes and your no be no) He is simply saying why make an oath. Just do what you say you are going to do.

John 5: 24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life"

Keeping a promise is not making oneself good unless the individual sees it that way. We are supposed to keep our promises. Jesus doesn't keep them for us. It wasn't the CEV that did that. It was the fault focus of the Promise Keepers movement though their intentions were good. To restore the proper order and balance within the home that God established at creation. They set their focus on keeping promises (which first have to be made) rather than learning what it means for Christ to be head of the man and the man head of the wife/family, and Christ over all. Translations are not at fault. People are, just as all are responsible for their own misinterpretations and misapplications of any scripture in any translations. People are. Not translations. You are confusing the two. Paul is speaking specifically of the Law of Moses in the old covenant. The liberty is in not needing to be circumcised or any of the old covenant law, in addition to faith to be justified. It was about the sufficiency of Christ. And husbands and fathers must learn from the word what a good husband and father is---the very reflection of God as the perfect husband and Father. And then do it. And that is not about salvation, it is about sanctification.

You get yourself in a tangle. Numbers 30 is speaking of vows made to the Lord or sworn to in His name. Such as, "As God is my witness, I will be there tomorrow." It has nothing to do with whether or not God helps him. Man is always responsible to do His own vows as it goes to his character. Jesus is saying, not only that, don't swear by anything as making your vow trustworthy--"I swear on my mother's grave, I will be there tomorrow." Just do what you say you will do, circumstances permitting. IOW be a trustworthy person if you are asking someone to trust what you say you will do. So I ask the unanswered question. How is the CEV saying differently? This passage (and Eccl is wisdom literature) is directly in reference to old covenant law about swearing an oath by things that are holy. And it is an oath TO God. Did you forget about James 5:12? "But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heavenor by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'yes' be 'yes' and 'no' be 'no', so that you may not fall under condemnation." You are making it to be about something it is not about. It is true that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith but that has nothing to do with whether or not we keep our oaths. As we grow in sanctification by the Holy Spirit through His word, we learn among many other things, that we are to walk with the simplicity of integrity. Our yes being yes and our no being no. It is the "our responsibility" side of the equation.

Your good example will not be in vain. God uses what is good, right while Satanic people will try to make it look as though you aren't getting anywhere and people are missing the good you offer. Never mind, then, how evil tries to make things look. Write what can be good for us. Then our guest readers can benefit from that. And ones not right can later be blessed by what we sow, as God pleases. "'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'" (Isaiah 55:11) So, God's word is guaranteed to do what God desires. And this means what God Himself knows His word means . . . so more and better than we can be arguing for and wishing! So, share what is good, and know that God will use it