NotJohn

Knowing something and controlling something are very different things. I know the sun will rise tomorrow, but I'm not the on that will make it rise. As far as predistination...I am certainly no Bible scholar or theologian, and I suppose I will get some nasty replies from offended people, but it is my opinion that although we are predestinated, we can choose to throw it away. I think the predestination is conditional on submitting to God's will. For example, God took away the destiny that He had offered to King Saul after he consulted a psychic. God said he would have made Saul's descendants the rulers of Israel forever, but Saul forfeitted that destiny when he chose to remove himself from God's plan.

Haha, ok, using the same strained "logic", I propose a new theory: Humans can hold their breath, and they can swim. We take "brief excursions" into the water, so it must be evidence of REVERSE EVOLUTION! We are turning into fish!

This is just an idea, but think about it...perhaps God chose to refer to Himself as male because He decided to give the burden of authority to men. Maybe He wants us to be very conscious of His position as our Master.

"There is therefore now no condemnation in Christ..." Focusing on the sin will keep you bound to it. Don't stare at the problem, look at the solution: Christ's blood shed for us to deliver us from sin.

I am a little hesitant about joining this debate, but I would like to offer an analogy. Consider a stone. Just a plain old rock lying on the ground. Is it evil? Of course not. It's not good or evil. It's just a rock. Now, suppose that rock was picked up and used to hurt someone. Does it suddenly become evil? No. It's still just a rock. A THING can't be evil or good, whether it is a body or a plant or word...evil is found only in intentions and motives, not in things.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or be irritated about this hypothesis. I mean, Jesus walked right up to the boat! What, did the apostles slide their boat over the ice? Were they ice fishing? Come on...

What God has been telling me over and over lately is essentially to seek His face and nothing else! By the way, I have heard hie voice audibly twice in my life. But besides those times, it has always been the still, small voice.

Have I used the term random? Two children born of the same parents have many of the characteristics of both parents but are at the same time different. Is this random? Does it matter? NotJohn: Also, ecco, you seem to be giving very little rational debate, and instead concentrating on maligning the character of us blind, foolish Christians. Sorry if I have offended anyone, that is not my intent. I didn

See John 8:42-44

I hope nobody gets irritated with me for posting this here (it's only indirectly related to the topic), but it makes me so angry that this sort of thing is going on in public schools! I am not at all surprised, mind you, just angry. It is quite common. The Bible, and anything to do with Christ is forbidden, but PRACTICING other religions (not just learning about them) is welcome. Students are led in mystic practices and even being hypnotized without parental consent. I know this from personal experience from when I was in high school. It is a fact that the majority of of people in the "new age" movement wake their livings as educators. It is such blatant hipocrisy, and also a blatant disregard for not only the law, but also the boundaries of a teacher's authority.

I have just spent about an hour reading every post here, and I have another question for those of you who support evolution. Every single one of you has claimed that the genetic mutations that produce evolution are random, but then elsewhere claim that some species ceased to evolve because they found a "niche" and no longer had to. How can this be? Are they random or not? Also, ecco, you seem to be giving very little rational debate, and instead concentrating on maligning the character of us blind, foolish Christians.

Every person is born into sin. Every person comes into this world with the nature of the "god of this world" (Satan). So says the Bible. If man is not evil by nature, then from what must we be saved? To give some more quotes (sorry, I can't remember exactly where these come from, but I assure you, they are in the Bible); "There is none righteous, no not one." "The heart of man is desperately wicked; who can know it?" And from the apostle Paul (!) "Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" By the way, he then answers his own question and thanks God for doing what he could never do by himself.

As I was praying last night, a thought about evolution popped into my head. If those who feel they must deny the existence of God (in order to feel better about the anarchy in their hearts, I think) insist that evolution created life, and humans were formed over billions of years from single celled organisms (I'm sure we have all seen the diagrams...an amoeba becoming a jellyfish, becoming a fish, becoming an amphibian, etc. etc.), then whay are there still amoebas?? Why are there still fish? If every creature is always changing and evolving into a more efficient form, then why aren't there only people on this earth? That certainly makes no sense.

The only thing that works for me is to spend some time praising God! It takes my mind off of all the things that make me depressed and reminds me of His goodness. It returns me to a state of mind where I know He is working in my heart and in my life, and it reminds me that that there is truly no greater joy than to have intimacy with the One who made me and who loves me most of all!

My favorite is called "Sing To Jesus". I guess it's an old hymn, but I had never heard it until Fernando Ortega did it on one of his albums. Sometimes I can't finish singing it because it makes me cry. Come and see, look on this mystery The Lord of the universe, nailed to a tree Christ our God spilling His holy blood Bowing in anguish His sacred head Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame Lord of our sinful hearts He is our Great Redeemer Sing to Jesus, honor His name Sing of His faithfulness Pouring His life out unto death Come you weary and He will give you rest Come you who mourn, lay on His breast Christ who died, risen in paradise Giver or mercy, giver of life Sing to Jesus, His is the throne Now and forever, He is the king of heaven Sing to Jesus, we are His own Now and forever, sing for the love our God has shown