MelodyCat

Note "The Lord" is refering here absolutely to GOD. He is saying to "my Lord" also a reference to God. He cannot therefore be talking to King David here. No man has ever been referred to as LORD by God Himself. God must be talking to Jesus and referring to Him with a title reserved only for GOD. Later in the New Testament this of course is referenced by Jesus Himself. This the only one I can think of. Cheers MelC

exrockstar First, good on you. Most people wouldn't take on a JW for a variety of reasons. Their knowledge of the Bible is daunting. I have JW family who don't live nearby but come to Sydney to visit us and other family once a year (sometimes twice). They became JWs in my late teens and I became a Christian soon after. I assumed at first we were both Christians. I soon realised there were differences and it took me some years to work out what they were. Well almost 30 years on and much prayer and many conversations later. One of my family who was a JW has now found out who Jesus truly is and her salvation is only in what Christ did for her on the Cross. The key is Jesus and while they will call him 'son of God' and give him deity they do not recognise that Jesus is God come in flesh and that he was the prefect substitution/sacrifice and could takw away our sins. Not only that they are like the gospel Plus crowd. Their salvation is based on works. You need to talk to them about Grace thru Faith. A good question to ask next time: " how do you know God has forgiven all your sins and you are going to heaven?" They have practiced answers for so many questions but I know they are not all good at spinning those off. Keep at them they will crack and answer honestly what they personally think. The seasoned door knockers are too indoctrinated but the young recruits are easier to get what they truly understand. Also I pose most of the difficult questions specifically to the younger JW unless they are a child (I wouldn't do this to a poor little kid). Make sure you get them to answer by saying to the mature JW "OH I just want to hear what your friend here thinks I've already heard what you have to say and I'd like to know hear your partner's view". This also throws a spanner in their well rehearsed routine, espeically if the second person is a novice. You are not doing it to pick on them but they are so indoctrinated they really don't think for themselves. Also note they are taught not to dicuss wisdom & knowledge meant for those who are in the JWs. There are levels of wisdom and knowledge you have to go through to these levels through doing works (door knocking and other evangelical work) plus showing your full undertanding of the wisdom and knowledge of the level you are on. Then you have to be nominated to go up (although I was not told absoltuley clearly there was a hint you paid after you got up to certain level to go further). So what JW person knows will depend on how deep into the organistation they are and how far up. It took much prayer and many heated discussion and over the past few years many more calmer discussions and the leading of the Lord for me to finally show through God's Word to my relative Jesus did it all for her on the Cross. Christmas before last she finally got it and realised she was totally forgiven in Jesus and has received this through prayer. I've not studied any in depth books on the differeces between JW theology & Christianity, for some reason never managed to get the time to do it. All I know is from a brief pamphlet on the fundamental differences, and the rest from years of conversations with my relatives. One saved. Praying for the others. Cheers MelC PS I got to do most of my JW dicussion with relatives that were open and not guarded and they did not follow their well rehearsed routines on me. So I got, I think further into finding out what the JWs are all about. The doorknockers are too well groomed and ready to keep their answers to what they want you to hear. You have to find a way of not letting them run the conversation.

Repeating an error doesn't make it right. Again, science simply does claim to "prove" things it merely a process used to gather evidence and create theories to explain observations. Please keep in mind that terms like "proof" have very specific meanings in science, so you need to be careful about how you use them in this context. We usually use the term "proof" to refer to a mathematical concept of proof which insists something is true in every case. "In mathematics, a proof is a convincing demonstration (within the accepted standards of the field) that some mathematical statement is necessarily true[1][2]. Proofs are obtained from deductive reasoning, rather than from inductive or empirical arguments. That is, a proof must demonstrate that a statement is true in all cases, without a single exception. An unproved proposition that is believed to be true is known as a conjecture." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_proof If, however, you are using "proof" in a more colloquial sense of a conclusion based on evidence then there is no problem. Again, you need to keep in mind that science, as with all professions, attaches very specific meanings to it's terms so you need to be cautious in using those terms. Technically science does not "prove" things, it is simply a tool to gather evidence in which we leave all conclusions open ended. You are either misunderstanding those studies or someone has misunderstood them for you. If you have something specific in mind I suggest your present it. It would certainly be a waste of time trying to convert me seeing as I already am a Christian. Observation without application is useless, Lurker

As usual I am very sad to hear News Stories like this. We knew these days would come. Keep strong in the Lord everyone.

Peter Jenson. Yep, it was one of the first things he did. You can check it out on their website. http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/search?cx=0...n+ministers#496 Yep, live in Sydney. Are you are Sydneyite as well then?

Well he is with Jesus now. Praise God he was spreading the gospel.

We can know this about the Mark it has to be received and along with it the person is willing to worship the Beast & his image. I would say because the person is willing to worship the beast & his image the receiving of the Mark would have to be done willingingly. IMO.

Is he a anti-christ are there are many anti-christs Jesus warned us would come? Not sure. I've heard this as well. Pricne Charles is in good company as there are many others who make the list including Tony Blair and he just made a bid for head of the EU but at this time has managed to gain the EU leadership. John tells us the following:- According to this definition you only need to deny God and Jesus to be seen as an anti-christ. I'm not if Prince Charles has done this publically for us to be able to conclude this? As for freemasonary it is common amongst members of the Anglican church. The Archbishop of Sydney recently (a while ago actually) had all Ministers who were still active Freemasons to stand down as it would not be tolerated under his leadership. So there is a problem with it being acceptable to be a Feemason and see your self as a Christian also.

It took a while but I finally found it. I still am not sure what to make of this parable. I do like a Preacher named Jack Kelly of "Grace Thru Faith" Ministries. Not sure yet if I agree with this but this is what Jack Kelly has on this parable which is part of his look at the Olivet Discourse. I have to go and read the board rules again I did so only briefly. So I will not post the teaching but a link to the article. http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach...arables-part-2/ Hope that gives you something further to think about. Cheers MelC

Your source was sloppy with their terminology. Science simply doesn't "prove" things, it gathers evidence and proposes theories to explain them but those theories are always considered open ended and subject to change. "If a good scientist says that a theory has been proved, then he's speaking informally. Mathematics deals in proof, but scientific theories are not proved. Ever. "(It is sometimes claimed that the "laws" of thermodynamics are proved. That is a partial truth. The mathematical part of the "laws" is indeed mathematically proved. The science part is not.) "The basic credo is that all scientific knowledge is tentative. Nothing is so firmly known that it cannot, in principle, be overthrown by new evidence." http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/creation/proof.html Lurker Well all I can do to this response is reply using the words of Mythbusters Adam Savage "I reject your reality and substitue my own" When you want to actually dicuss this topic in a mature way. I'll take you seriously. Your childish rejection of an approved Secular High School/College science definition shows that you are not willing to admit you are wrong. Please study up on the latest Bilological (again it is secular scientists here not Christian) discoveries of Finches on the Galapogoes Islands which of course discredits Darwins original hypotheses and of course part of the work he used to put forward Evolution. A taxidermist does not a biologist make or I would be able to be a Vet (I'm a farm girl who has killed and gutted the odd farm animal in my life time) based on your arguement. Like I said when you are able to discuss maturely and take on board secular evidence to the contrary of your argument. I would love to take this further but while you play "I reject your reality and substitute my own" this is not a dicussion or debate but childish twoddle. I am certainly not trying to convert you to my Christian viewpoint but help you see the truth about Evolutions flaws, because I am quite aware that.... "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." MelC

I just want to make this statement. Many of you have decided you know what I think or mean when I use the term Christian. Well by your posts I can see you have made assumptions that are wrong. First of all you are only a Christian if you have repented and received Christ. Then only God knows who are his and who are not. I don't have any spiritual powers to know who is saved. I can discern if someones behaviour is contrary to God's word and if they also verbally reject Christ then I would have to make the conclusion they really are not True Christians. Many people say they are Christian because the belong to a denomination or believe there is a God yet have never repented and received Christ (I cannot know this I'm just making a statement to say there are people like this). When someone claims to be a Christian I have to accept their claim as I don't know their hearts and I cannot judge other people's salvation. I believe all true Christians who are part of the Body of Christ (there is only one body and it doesn't belong to any denomination it's head is Christ) can still act and behave in a sinful manner as we are not made perfect until we go to heaven. We are all being perfected here on Earth. If a Christian is in my sphere of relationships I would be concerned by their behaviour and may if appropriate speak to them about it after some prayer. Otherwise all these Christians I have heard of and never met or have little to do with I leave them in the hands of God. I don't judge them (although I may have an opinion about their behaviour) as I too am not perfect and still sin. I have a prayer ethic. I like to hold up my brothers and sister before the Lord. Why waste my emotions, time and energy where I have no business or I am not in a position to do or say anything? If Joe Hockey is a Christian I have not heard of this until now. Second. One again you have not read what I have previously written on Political Parties. I already pointed out that I know not one is clean or Godly. I stated I would not vote for the Greens as I do have a big problem with one of their policies (and so I should and it is one I cannot overlook or be easy with). I need to vote as I have been led in my conscience by the Lord. I do this prayerfully. We are required by law to vote here in Australia it is not an option and I believe I don't have a right to whine or whinge afterwards if I haven't voted, so I would not Donkey Vote either. Since you haven't properly read what I have posted previously and rather than taking the time to ask me questions you have just made assumptions I'll leave it there. We are all accountable for our own behaviours and decisions before the Lord during our lifetime. I cannot make your decisions and neither can you mine. I know that all of us are at different levels of spiritual maturity and some are more educated and some not and some have more spiritual discernment than others. God knows this and expects us to act and behave according to have we know and at the level of maturity we are, I understand and respect that. I don't try to apply my maturity and understanding on another brother or sister in Christ and then condemn them or judge them for not doing what I would do. We who are older and more mature in the Lord with love are to teach the younger believers, not condemn, slap over the wrist or judge when that is not your position of relationship with them. (Titus 2:1-10) Telling me that all policital parties have some kind of policy against God's law is a belittling statement. Have you gone and looked at every political parties policies and come to that conclusion? (I doubt it). You just worry about your own voting decision and leave me to mine. If you are happy or not happy about Tony Abbott getting the leadership then take it up wtih God. I personally didn't have anything to do with the voting outcome. Again if you have bothered to read my posts you would have realised my view is I accepet that God is Soveriegn. No one comes to power unless God puts them there for a purpose. So it doesn't worry me who ends up in leadership positions as the will be used by the Lord for His purposes. I do vote it is my right to do so. In the end I know the Lord will have His people in power. So I don't get worked up about what political party is in power. Even if the Greens got in and were successful changing the laws to allow what the Lord despises. I would be upset but I know God would still be able to rescue His children as He did Lot & his family from Sodom. PS not angry or upset here I just like to dispel your assumptions about me which are wrong. Andy When I can get some articles together on the ETS I will post them under prophecy. It may take a bit of time to do so. Mel

First of all I am pro-Jesus/God. "Our Father in heaven holy be your name your kingdom come your will be done on Earth..." God even used Pharoh and Nebucanezzar to fulfill His will on Earth. My husband & I are not party fast, I guess you can call us swingers. However I do have a problem where a party openly endorses policy that is against one of God's precepts. Now to add to this I am also a person who is following End Times Prophecy. I see a spiritual component to the ETS not just another Tax. I won't go into a deep Prophecy discussion here. I hope that gives you some further insight in my interest in ETS.

First of all no I haven't said I support the Liberals at all, I had mentioned earlier I pray for various Christians in politics and the ones I named were Liberal. I wanted to point out I pray for all Christians in politics as brothers and sisters in Christ, I don't care what their party is. I also pray for the government and our politicians in general as the Bible encourages us to do so as well. There are Christian parties and many others. I try to make the most informed decision I can when voting. Some of the Greens policies sit against my Christian beliefs and that is why I cannot vote for them. Personally I am not happy with their communist leanings as well. At the last election they had as a couple of their promises to ensure more people give up their cars and use bikes and another was to ban the eating of meat from the Australian diet. I notice these gems have been take off their website these days but they were there at the last election. Here is one from their official website: http://greens.org.au/node/794 I am not supporting one political party over another. I have no interest in politics as such. We know that our politicians are not all puppets of God or we would be living in Eutopia. No political party here in Australia is clean. Not even the Christian political parties. We are all Sinners and have faults and make bad choices and say wrong things. I don't expect any politician to be a Saint just becasue they say they are a Christian. I am being realistic. Have I said something to upset you or offend you? Please forgive me. Mel

Shy Christian I hope you got your answer. Honestly Honey, I never had any problems dicsouraging men. They just seemd to all run away as fast as they could when they met me. If I could bottle it and send some to you I would. Cheers Mel PS yeah I still don't know why my hubby hung around and married me, but some myteries in life we are not meant to know.

Too funny! Just becasue someone says they are Catholic doesn't mean they are a perfect Christian. It would be nice if they were but that isn't what we experience here on Earth. To be in parliament you have to be a bit of a potty mouth and very worldly. I don't know how any of them do it really. Even Fred Nile has had egg on his face with his recent email scandal. He isn't the best ambassodor for Christians or the Lord either. I have met the man and had close up time with him, he isn't perfect. I was really disappointed at first but I have learned to be forgiving, he is human like me and that means fundamentally sinful. We are all a work in progress until we get to heaven. I know I'm no Angel either. Lord forgive me when I do and say things that are not gloryfing to You. amen I can easily control myself here on a forum. I get time to think before I type. However, put me in a room with non-Believers acting like a school playground full of bullies and I'd let out a choice word or two out of sheer pyschological frustration. I watch the Parliament occassionally and it makes my skin crawl. At least I can turn it off. I don't know who is saved and who isn't. I leave that to the Lord. God can use certain men and women to fulfill His purposes. That is what I have observed in the Bible, I'm sure it is true today as well. God even used a prostitute to fulfill His plans, no one is beyond God using. I pray for Kevin Rudd as well (not just the Christians in the Liberal party) he says he is a saved Christian not just a pew sitter. I have to accept what he says and leave his discipline to the Lord. None of us are perfect and we will not be here on Earth. I know God has worked in my life over the past 27 years (as a Christian) to bring me out of certain sinful habits and behaviours. He hasn't finished with me yet. I am certainly glad we are not signing an ETS (yet). Very unhappy the greedy banks and utility companies are increasing their costs to the public. What can we do? I'm going off to pray again.

I think that is a different matter. An unbeliever praying specifically to another god/idol would have an agenda contrary to God's Will. God I believe is not sitting in heaven taking messages (I'm sure) for Buddha or Krishna and answering them. However an unbeliever who is caught in a life/death situation will often turn to God and be praying to Him to save them. Here I am saying the person is actually making some effort to reach God of whom they have no real understanding of or have neglected for years. How often do you hear stories like that in the News when they were asked about their ordeal. The person often says I was praying for God to save me? Who knows maybe God did out of mercy? We see Jesus healed the occassional non-believing Sinner to glorify His Father. Not everyone Jesus healed came back to Thank Him or put their faith in Him.

Givenanewname A friend of mine always says: "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still" Some posters will stick to their interpretation of the Bible no matter what. I never studied various past theologians Biblical interpretations as they are only men and could have got it wrong. Unforutnately I had to look up Calvin one time as I got into some argument over predestination. I tried to just share what I was learning on this through my own quiet time. Actually it was in a Church Bible study this happened. That is when I first realised some people are so hell bent on getting you to see it their way they will do very nasty things to you socially (this person had some weight in the church I used to attend). Pretty nuts she was because I didn't think Calvin had it totally right. I have learned to get to know each leopards spots and deal with people accordingly from now on. Otherwise you just lock horns and nobody really comes out of it unscathed. Nice to meet you. Hope to see you around. MelC

Not all science is based on theories formed from experimental testing or trials using scientific methodology. Darwin did not apply any scientific testing to any of his theories and they should not even been called theories but observations. Darwin by the way he left College to hitch a ride as rich English Toff on a Sail Boat. All he did was read other peoples books (I believe a geologists book in particular) and observed nature as they stopped here and there. He didn't even properly tag and label his findings. He had to do most of that when he got home (remember he was away for five years). So who knows if his specimens are actually properly identified he wasn't an onthologist or had training in any other arm of biology. You know this is probably ironic but Darwin was studying to be a minister when he left College to travel the world. Apparently Darwins only scientific skills is that he was a butterfly collector when he was a boy. A wonderful English pass time of the rich during his day. Twenty years after he comes home and bored out of his brain as he married a rich woman and never worked a day in his life he thought he would write a book. Darwin's work was made up of self indulgent non-scientific observations motivated by the fact he had nothing better to do with his life. Before he wrote his book he did write the occassional artice on Philosophy (another past time of the rich in those days). He had been contemplating the non-existence of God for many years at this point. So you have a piece of work that really has nothing to do with science really but is based on a mans life time of thought and poor obervation (many of his dicoveries during his journey had been disproved by actual geologists and onthologists recently). So to sum up his book on Evolution is nothing more than an opinion with No Scientific proof and has not been proven to this day. Please note natural selection is not Evolution. Evolution itself has no scientific proof to date. Two or three bones does not a species make. Not to mention all of the bones presented to date supporting Evolution have all been disproved. The scientists still in their dillusion continue to teach that Lucy and her other fictious man/animal creatures actually existed. We need more bone evidence before constructing and putting forward a new dinosaur discovery than we do for a supposed ape-man (a partial jaw and fingerbone and there you go we can have an artist draw the creature with great detail). The anti-God intellectuals sit there and laugh at my niave belief that a supposed non-existant God made the earth in six days and then flooded the earth later and supposedly saved 8 people and a boat load of animals and started again. Well you laugh all you like but I'm not the only one putting my belief into a non-scientifcally proven theory. At least I accept I can't scientifically prove Creation.

I've often heard this question posed. Does God hear the prayers of Unbelievers? First I would think God hears everything. The question really should be, "Does God answer the prayers of Unbelievers?" I would think God can do what He pleases. God could just out of mercy answer the prayer of an Unbeliever. Why Not what is stopping Him?

Hi Andy Yes you are right the way Tony Abbott responded to the camera man looking for his biological father was a great testimony to a Christian faith. I forgot about that.

Nice to meet you. Yes he is a Catholic but an active Christian. He is against abortion and homosexuality. He is fairly active amongst Christian groups at Parliament House, so he is open to other Christians and isn't strictly Catholic in all his veiws. Do pray for him he hasn't got the media on his side they call him the "mad monk" because of his Christian views. Did you also know Kevin Andrews and Baranaby Joyce are both Christians as well. So we have a few. How much they know of End Times Prophecy or how deep their understanding of the basic Gospel of Salvation is "I'm not sure", I just know they are godly men who still champion a biblical view or morality. I have a few Christian friends who work for politicians or like my friend I mentioned are a Liberal party member and they give me feedback on what is happening. I also have a Christian friend whose wife has been elected in her local council so I get what is happening at local and state level as well. Often I get phoned up to pray for this or that and I belong to an Australian wide prayer network (which sends me a prayer email each week). If you want to join the Australian prayer email network, let me know and I can send you the details via Private Email. It is a priveledge to be able to pray with my friends over issues concerning our Nation. I am very sick and can't go out much these days. However my friends can contact me by phone or email and we can pray together. Then to see the answer to prayer like this, well it is so exciting. I spoke to my Liberal party member friend and we sang a few songs of praise to God for delivering such a turn around on the ETS. Cheers Mel

Not sure if this was the right forum. Please move if need be. Well we have had an exciting 4 days. Many Christians here in Australia have been holding up the Emissions Trading Scheme and Australia's involvement for a while now. The current PM of Australia hs been hell bent on getting this through the parliament with little or no discussion. I won't bore you with details. However, the concerned prayers of many Believers has reached the ears of our Lord. Today due to a heated debate over the ETs all last week we have had a new leader of the opposition party. This man has been pro-ETS in the past but a friend of mine who is a member of the Liberal party has spent some time speaking to the newly elected leader over some of the issues with ETS. I know my friend didn't persuade Mr Abbott to upset the leadership but I know that he was only re-thinking through his stance on the ETS just a few weeks ago. Well God works in wonderful ways. Today we are free of the rushed ETS signing and we will have some time for proper political debate on the new policy before our country is given over to the New World Order. Al Gore will have to wait a little longer before he gets rich off the Australian people Now I have a link to a news website. I will type it out for those interested in reading the Australian Newspapers article which has details on this story. http://www.smh.com.au/national/shock-resul...91201-k1uz.html I have been phoning a few Christian friends and Praise God with them for this news. I know it is only a delay but I truly beleive the Lord raises men for His purposes and to fufill His plans. Praise God for Tony Abbott. Maybe my friends discussion with him was one of many encouraging Mr Abbott to re-think the ETS and to act. Praise God. I am so glad to see such a turn around in a few short days. We (Australains) thought for sure we would be seeing the ETS signed at Copenhagen. Cheers Mel

I just pray for the lord's Will over Israel. I know the Lord hasn't forgotten His Nation.

I believe people get the Gift of the Spirit called "discerning of spirits" confuessed with the "Gift of Knowledge" and also being able to tell when some one is of God or not...... when God lets some one else know something about some one else, it is not from discernment, it is knowledge..... being able to tell if some one is of God or not, should be fairly easy, for the Fruit of their labors will show where they stand with God.... Good fruit does not come from corrupt trees, nor does rotten fruit come from Good trees. so it would be a good ide to do as Terter asks, elaborate as to what the situation is, hypothetical or real.... mike Yes Mike that is correct. That is what I was trying to say. I was just trying to show it was not the same as CajunBoy had described. I thought his gift was different. More along the lines of knowledge rather than discernment. Thanks Mel