JTC

War breaks out in the Middle East almost constantly. From an American pov Israel and the Middle East live in a constant state of war. The question is will this be a war that can escalate into a World War. Will it be a war fought with nuclear weapons that will have fall out that effects the rest of the world?

There are a lot of people predicting dooms day right now. A lot of people believe it, and a lot don't. I know at least 1 person who enjoys all this dooms day stuff. Of course he sits very comfortably in Florida and he has so much money he never even has to go out. So to him this is all a big mental game. But if it becomes real, he'll be the biggest crier.

So that's what I want to know, can this latest problem escalate into a dooms day scenario? I hope not. And if it does, I hope Jesus is not far behind it. I remember the Bible saying that if Jesus doesn't return when He does, there will be no flesh left alive. I have no way to know what's going on in the world, so does it look like this can happen?

Hey Mike,

I think hell is the end because I don't think anyone goes to hell until we reach the end of the age of mankind on Earth. But I also don't think hell was created for man, it was created for satan and his angels.

I also don't believe any of us would be alive and tormented forever. I suppose this will raise more questions, but to believe that man will be tormented forever, would mean that man is created with an immortal soul. I don't believe that. I don't believe we are born or created with eternal life within us. We can only get eternal life from God, through Jesus, and it seems illogical to think God will give eternal life to a soul He's putting in hell.

I admit all this is very confusing and I don't have the answers. All I have is peace about these questions and I wanted to try and give you some of it. But I'm not sure I have. So I say remember that most of Revelation is symbolic, and look for answers to questions in Revelation outside of Revelation. That was what I did.

John

Hey TQ are you still here? If you are please make a post, even a 1 word one. We really do want to help you, but I for one am not going to write long answers if you're not coming back. So let us know?

About a sick person and God's will, and prayer. God has several forms of will. He does have a perfect or absolute will, and no one can change that. We do too. If you have kids or any family or good friends, there are things they can change your mind on, but there are other things you won't budge on even if all your family asks you to. God is like this too. Some of His will is absolute and won't change. Some of it will change. But we can't know when it is changeable. Therefore, if a loved one is sick we should always pray for them to get well, because even if it seemed to be God's will for them to die, He may be amenable to change in this situation. We just don't know, and can never know. But life's experiences teaches us that if we pray for a sick person there are times the person will get well. So we should always do it.

About God Himself, I believe One Light said this too. We can never fully understand God. The one we call God the Father, is some kind of spiritual being we can't even conceive of. The closest we can come to understanding what He is would be a Loving Father. But what He really is, goes beyond human understanding. You need to realize this. There are many mysteries about God, and we will never have the answers to many of them. But if each one of us truly seeks God, in our hearts, souls, minds, and with our full essence of what we are, God will reveal Himself to each of us. I was once like you, with many of the same questions. But I maintained my faith. You asked faith in what? I tell you faith in that God is real, and that He's out there some where, and that He will answer me. That's what you need faith in.

God did answer me, and He still does. But when I had the questions you have it took over 10 years to get the answers to some of them. I still have questions, but I no longer doubt God. I know He's real. I know I will never understand what He is. My mind is not like His mind, He tells us this in the Bible. And I know He has also revealed Himself to many others, and He will to you too. But you have to seek Him earnestly, and in truth.

Now please respond if you're still here reading our answers.

I think that you have to accept the general premise that the Bible contains godly truths. I find it ironic that someone could denounce the Bible but believe in Christ, since... it's the Bible that makes the case for Jesus being divine!

This is my feeling exactly. How someone can claim to believe in Jesus, or to accept Him, and then reject the Bible as being divine, I don't understand. It's like a conflict in thinking, or a conflict of logic. But since I'm no longer part of any churches for just these reasons, I wonder if this is a new movement. I probably should have waited for more answers, before I responded, but I liked what you said.

Unfortunately, I don't understand this stuff and I never did. But I'll say what I think based on what I have known in my many years here. In America the very rich are not going to allow themselves to be taxed beyond what the middle class or the poor are. I believe it's the very rich who should have to pay more because they can afford it. But they won't allow it. So if we elect Obama again, and he keeps trying to get more money from the very rich, it will just make things worse for the middle and lower classes. I think the number of $250,000 is too low. It should be raised to $500,000 or $750,000. That would be fair. But I don't think the rich people will pay the taxes, they always have a way out of it.

So what I am saying is we are probably better off with a republican president and a republican senate. They won't try to help the poor very much, but they will keep the country as a status quo, which has worked for most of our history.

I have been a Christian for 30 years, but due to all the conflicts in the churches I've stayed away from them. But as far as I have always known, all Christians believe the Bible is true and that it's the word of God. Admittedly, the different denominations interpret different scriptures differently, but they still believe it's the word of God. I am not trying to start a discussion on how we interpret various scriptures, so please don't start doing that.

What I am asking, is there a new movement of people who call themselves Christians who never read the Bible at all, and they think the Bible is totally man made and it was done to control the people? I recently met a young woman who told me this. Is she just 1 in a million or is this a new movement within Christianity? I sure hope it isn't.

Isn't it obvious from reading the Bible that cussing and swearing is wrong. It certainly is, and several of you even quoted the sections of the Bible that say so. But some so-called Christians insist on doing it anyway. I think we're still talking about this because we're bored and need a new discussion. Maybe I can make one. In a new thread.

Hi Natalie,

You have been on my mind since Sat when I first read this. I've been trying to think if I can offer you some words of wisdom here. I didn't come up with anything great. But I do have a few things to say.

First of all, ignore that post above by Banned, I think it's an X-Rated advertisement. I'm seeing it all over Worthy.

It's very commendable of you to consider God in whether you should remarry or not. Where I live I doubt anyone would do that. You are also right when you said God didn't put us here to be happy. He put us here to be holy. If we can be happy within being holy then that's great. But IMO God isn't concerned with us being happy because that doesn't show us to be followers of His will. Besides that, God is immortal, and even if one of us lives to 110 years old, that's nothing to God. God wants us all in Heaven, and that takes holiness, not happiness. So I agree, and again I commend you for realizing that. Where I am people argue with me if I say that.

I think you should forget about where we are in God's plan for mankind. I mean whether Jesus returns today, next month, next year, or after you're dead, is immaterial to whether you remarry or not. Jesus said people would be marrying and giving in marriage when He returns, and He didn't say that would be wrong. So when Jesus will return should not be a factor in whether you remarry. I have a feeling your decision to not remarry is based of Jesus returning soon. I've seen people make decisions based on that before. When Jesus didn't return yet, they became very confused and fell away. So just don't even think about that.

Finally, I think the main thing is you should have peace with whatever you decide. God gives us peace of mind, not turmoil and confusion. Those things are of the devil. I wish you had said your age, but I assume it's close to your bf's age. Many people think they're "getting old" in their 30's and start to panic. But the 30's is still very young. People then panic again in their 40's, which is still fairly young. Actually age is relative. I'm almost 60 so to me you're young. I feel old but to someone 80 I'm young. Even so, the 30's is still young, so neither you nor him should rush to make a decision based on age. I was also once involved in a platonic love affair, and I was very happy in it. I loved the woman deeply and I enjoyed raising her 2 daughters with her. So that can happen too.

I don't know if I helped but I want you to slow down, and wait for peace with the decision. When you and him have peace with what you have decided, that will be from God.

John

What is Xian, what do you all mean by that?

Hey Parker,

I didn't mean that we're saved through good deeds. Sorry you misunderstood me. I'm finding as I get older I am not so elegant with words as I once was. It's like in my mind I want to say a whole lot more than I actually type.

So once again, leaning heavily on what James said, if one man says he's saved because of what he believes, and what he said, meaning the sinners prayer, and yet he has no good and admirable deeds to show for himself, his faith is dead, and his salvation is in question.

But now suppose another man comes along, and whom God has been working on his heart and soul so that he has many good deeds, but he never really heard of Jesus and the salvation He brings. If that man should die without hearing of Jesus I believe he will fare better than the man who heard of Jesus, said the sinners prayer, and did not change.

In my example it also would follow that if the man who has been unwittingly obeying God hears the good news of the gospel, he will then readily accept Jesus, because he already had the Holy Spirit in him but did not know it.

Salvation is both a gift from God, and something of a mystery as to why God even wants to save us. But Glory be to God because He does.

I think you should also look at my statement in view of what this question was about, which is people who claim to be Christians but have virtually nothing to show for it. I consider this an extremely important issue because the lack of good works in Christians around here has resulted in me having to walk away from every church I have tried to join in the last 10 years. Not that I'm so perfect, I surely am not. But I keep seeing things in the churches I try to join that I simply cannot partake of. Amen

Interesting reading. One of you said what I'm thinking. Namely that a lot of people who call themselves Christians, and think they are Christians, really aren't because they still love to sin and to be of this world. The problem is this seems to be everyone around here. And yet common sense tells me that I can't be the only one who doesn't want to sin. Which leads me to the conclusion, that the people who really don't want to sin are keeping it a secret. I often see non Christians showing much greater love for their fellow man than the church Christians. This saddens me in my very soul. It seems like around here, to take a stand in favor of not sinning will make you so unpopular, that no one wants you around. I think this started some 30 years ago, and has now become the norm. Just don't talk about sin. It's a dirty word. But I did. We all should. We need to, if we want to get to heaven.

Falling short of perfection, missing the mark. Anytime we knowingly and intentionally disobey God or fail to live in perfect accordance with His will, we are sinning. That encompasses much.

Is there a difference between "sinning" and "breaking God's Law"?

No Norrin, there is no difference between breaking God's laws and sinning.

When you asked "what is sin?", I thought you were kidding. But maybe you weren't. If you really don't know what sin is you need to do some reading in the Bible. Start with Proverbs. Those 2 books are full of what God likes and what God hates. Then try Matthew. After that Corinthians 1 and 2. Since Paul was the apostle to gentiles, he had to explain sin more than the other apostles did.

God is very concerned with how we treat each other, as well as Him. So remember these words from Jesus: Treat everyone as you would like them to treat you. If you do that you will avoid many sins.

I see too many Christians who behave as if they have a license to sin. They believe that any and all sins are automatically forgiven them because they believe Jesus is the Lord. They think because they said the "Sinner's Prayer", that they can now do what they please and not worry about it. Some people are like this because they just want to be, and others are like that because that was what they were taught.

I spent years thinking and praying about this. I don't believe it's true, I think it's wrong. What we do matters a great deal. I believe that how we behave is more important than what we believe. I use James 2:14-26 as proof of this. There is also ample proof in the words of Jesus in the gospels, as well as what Jesus told the 7 churches in Revelation.

I believe God wanted me to tell this.

Mila, I think you're right. Christians should not swear. Although many do.

In my mind it's a small part of a larger problem, which is Christians not abstaining from sin. In my area Christians think they can sin to their heart's content, because they are forgiven through Jesus. So what difference does it make, is what they say. They believe they will be forgiven. I know this is wrong, but I gave up trying to tell them.

I think I was 28 or 29 when God put it on my heart that I should not use His name in vain. It took me several years to wipe those statements out of my speech, but I did it. When I say God or Jesus, I am referring to to God and Jesus. Period.

A few years after I stopped taking God's name in vain, He started making me aware I should not swear nor cuss at all. I haven't wiped that out completely, but I want to. It would be easier, and grand, if I could be part of a larger group of people who all don't want to speak that way. Sad to say I usually cuss to make other people take heed of my words.

I'm glad you started this thread, Mila. We all need to work on stopping our daily sins. It's not okay. I haven't succeeded neither, but I work on it daily.

May God give us all the awareness that what we do is wrong, and may God give us all strength to conquer these sins.

This National ID Card thing is an early forerunner to what will eventually be the Mark of the Beast, spoken of in Revelations. And that's what's wrong with it, and why I oppose it. The RFID chip already exists, and that too is an early forerunner to the Mark of the Beast.

I'm one of the older Christians, and about 30 years ago, when I 1st heard of the Mark of the Beast it sounded like something impossible to do, or at least something so far off I need not think about it. But with these new breakthroughs in electronics it doesn't seem so farfetched anymore, and it is now very possible. However, to make it into the Mark of the Beast we need a power mad dictator, or some power mad group. I think the Bible refers to him as the man of lawlessness. So far he has not made the scene yet. But I think he can be a group of people, not just 1 man. I sometimes think the secret elitist groups (Illuminati) will be the man of lawlessness.

I think there is still quite a few other things that must happen before the Mark happens. But IMO the national ID card and the RFID chip, are 2 things that bring us closer to that Mark.

I'm in lower NY State and it's sweltering here. What makes it stranger is I live right near the beach and the open Atlantic Ocean, and there is still no cool breeze. Many a year ago there was almost always a cool breeze coming off the ocean. Not this year. This also happened 2 Summers ago. I fear we are in for a super hot Summer again. I have a small AC in my bedroom, but that's it. This is just too much heat.

I want to look for the thread on what's going on, because I have a theory. No proof, but it is a theory.

This may or may not help much. It would be better if my memory was better, but alas, it isn't. One afternoon I had the TV on as I was answering emails on my PC. A 1/2 hour show came on featuring a Christian minister and a Rabbi. That day they had a Creation Scientist as a guest. What this man said both astounded and delighted me. He only had 1/2 hour so he could only explain briefly and just a few points. His scientific speciality was astronomy and he was Christian. He explained how the Big Bang theory fits in quite nicely with the Genisis creation story. How?

First of all, a day in Genisis cannot be thought of as a literal day as we know a day. One proof of that is our day is based on the speed of our planet as it revolves on it's axis. The size of the planet also effects this. I think he said even in our solar system, other planets revolve faster and slower. So on those planets a day isn't 24 hours. The point is a day in Genisis is simply the word God used so his people could relate to it. Since the Bible says that to God 1000 years is as a day and a day as 1000 years (paraphrased) then in Genesis, 1 day could have been 100 Billion years. We just don't know, and we ought not to argue about it.

I wish I remembered this scientist's name. He really did explain in scientific terms how the events described in Genisis fit together almost perfectly. He also made the point that most scientists are so busy trying to prove God and the Bible are false, that they have closed their minds to the truth that science is actually proving the Bible is true. They just won't admit that.

He also made this important point. In the Bible God tells us what He did, and/or what happened. God does not tell us How He did it, or How it happened. This is what the work of a creation scientist is about. They seek to use scientific findings to explain How God did it. And if only I could remember more. Any Christian should be beaming with joy to hear what this man said. I was.

Hope this helped.