Hashe

How well do you use money? How often do you use money to make 'eternal' purchases? http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/money-money-money/

What wrong understandings of God have you encountered? How did that encourage unbiblical behaviour? http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/bernards-advice/

What do you think? How should we treat others who fail? Why did God treat Abraham the way that he did? What does that say about how we should treat others who fail? http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/abraham-and-habitual-sin/

I found this blog entry which I think speaks to the OP http://jonnitta.com/2014/04/28/why-are-christians-so-angry/

Just because Peter failed in one instance, doesn't mean he wasn't converted. Do you think all converted people don't make mistakes? Or are sometimes afraid to speak up to say they belong to Jesus?

Perhaps the first time, but the second???

A good friend of mine was once working as a Personal Assistant to the wife of a major Christian mission organisation that I admire greatly. My friend was very good at her job and enjoyed it. She became very close to her boss. However it was an extremely difficult job. At times the pressure to get things done for God was great and in these times her boss treated her with less than the respect she deserved. It left her with a lot of hurt. I remember spending nights with her encouraging her to keep her heart soft and find the right fit for her. It reminded me in some ways of the biblical stories of Abraham. He is a truly wonderful Biblical figure, being the great father of the Israeli nation. Even God ties himself to Abraham. Many times in the Old and New Testament God calls himself ‘the God of Abraham’. However twice we read how he mistreats his wife, Sarah, really badly. Twice (Gen 12:11-20, Gen 20) he gives his wife to a foreign king as a wife. I wonder how Sarah felt about that. Abraham had some major failings in the way he dealt with people close to him. When I consider the way people such as Abraham and even my friend’s boss can treat people it seems like for thousands of years great people of faith have been failing those closest to them. It does make me wonder about me. How do I treat those with whom I work? For those who have worked under me, did they feel valued or mistreated? I wonder about those who are close to me and the way I sometimes treat them. Do they feel valued or mistreated? From http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/give-her-away/ Used with permission

IT is wrong to say that Peter was 'unconverted' when Jesus spoke to him. He was following Jesus. Sure he didn't understand everything at that point, but he left everything to follow Jesus. Hard to think of many today that show the same commitment level to Jesus, so using that passage as a basis to treat 'non-Christians' is entirely wrong. As has been pointed out, we should 'love our enemies', which are often the non-believers.

Aronofsky’s movie Noah attracted a lot of attention and comment when it first came out. It seems like he initially did a great job getting Christians on side only to disappoint them when the movie came out. There was one thing that he got right, in the biblical picture of the time of Noah, the world was filled with nasty people. In Gen 9:6 we read God’s commandment not to shed human blood. The reason given is that people are made in God’s image. There is something of value in people because they are made in God’s image. This passage is after the flood and it says that God’s image is still in all people – even after the world was filled violent nasty people. In other words, even in nasty violent people is the image of God. It carries on in people despite sin. I sometimes go out to cafes or restaurants with friends to watch some sport. The last time I was out watching sports, there was some people who got passionate and hot tempered and acted in horribly offensive ways. As I was leaving and thinking about those people and thinking about the movie Noah, I realised that I struggled to see something of God’s image in those people. I struggled to understand the value God puts on them. But I know he does, and I know that I need to respond to them with God’s love and compassion. It also made me wonder at what other times if I fail to treat people as they deserved to be treated, not because of their actions, but because of the image of God in them. I wondered, what does it actually mean to me that other people have the image of God in them? From http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/the-image/ Used with permission

I have some friends that never let you pay for anything. They never want you to do anything for them because they don’t want to feel ‘in debt’ to them. I find this quite sad. In Gen 4 we read the story of Cain and Abel and how sin uses Cain’s feeling of rejection to strike out in anger at his brother. After God’s first response to Cain’s sin (trying to engage in relationship through questions!), Cain reacts to the punishment he receives from God. He finds it too difficult to bear. He feels so low and worthless that he expects anybody that he meets will kill him. However God responds with grace to Cain’s anguish, even though Cain doesn’t ask for it. God puts a mark on Cain that will protect him. Cain seems to be like my friends who never want you to do anything for them. Although God has given him his protection, Cain rejects it. How do I know this? He goes and builds a city! In the culture of the day, a city was walled and a place of protection. Cain tries to create his own safe place, rather than accept God’s protection. For me this image is of someone locked up and distant from others. Cain has rejected what God has done for him and rather than empower him, it isolates him. Makes me wonder where I don’t accept what God has done for me? Am I trying to earn his grace? Am I trying to earn his love? Are there things I’m trying to redo that he has already done for me? How does this lead to isolation and lack of community in my life? (From http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/isolated/) Used with permission

2 Cor 12:1-6. If we are to boast let us boast in the Lord. If Paul was happy to talk about Jesus rather than experiences of going to heaven, perhaps that is a good model to follow.

I didn't know about this upcoming movie, until I read this http://christandpopculture.com/christians-respond-heaven-real/ I found it helpful.

I suggest you missed the whole point of the article.

Sounds like you are basing your theory on a man inability to know everything God knows and not on God Himself. While of course I may be wrong, but the picture in the early part of the Bible, is a God who 'repents', that is changes his mind. How is that possible for a God who knows everything that will ever happen?

Self centered desires often do not get answers. What the writer seems to be saying is that the anger derives from them not getting what they wanted. Scripture tells us that when we are in Christ, seeking His will in our lives, what we ask for will be provided, since we are asking in accordance to His will in our lives. Scripture does not guarantee that we can get whatever we want just because we asked for it, nor does scripture guarantee that whatever we put our hand to will bear fruit. Seems to me that the writers focus is self centered, prideful, and somewhat arrogant. Well that is one perspective. Count how many time the writer uses a term that points to themselves (18 times) and how many time the writer wonders what His will is for them (0). The numbers add up to self centered thinking. I suggest you confuse selfishness for a rhetorical device which is design to invite empathy and introspection. I guess we could write in the 2nd person and command people, but there are those who appreciate having someone write in the first person and from a preachy commanding way.

Self centered desires often do not get answers. What the writer seems to be saying is that the anger derives from them not getting what they wanted. Scripture tells us that when we are in Christ, seeking His will in our lives, what we ask for will be provided, since we are asking in accordance to His will in our lives. Scripture does not guarantee that we can get whatever we want just because we asked for it, nor does scripture guarantee that whatever we put our hand to will bear fruit. Seems to me that the writers focus is self centered, prideful, and somewhat arrogant. Well that is one perspective.

In Amos 5:15, Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 'It May be that God will be gracious'. If God knows all things then God knows if he will be gracious. There is no doubt and Amos is either lying or misrepresenting God. Knowing all things at present, doesn't mean he knows all things that will happen. Knowing what is in your heart doesn't mean you know what future decisions will be made. If you understood the history of Christian theology you would understand that a fundamental shift took place in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and that Greek philosophical structures, particularly stoicism affected the way Christian theology was done. Before that, the Jews, understood God's character from the Scripture, not based on Greek philosophical constructs. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures, changes his mind (Gen 6:7, Exo 32:14) and pleads will people to do the right thing (through the prophets). Hardly the actions of someone who knows all future things is it? This God is a personal God, not the impersonal, impassionate God of Greek philosophy.

I once had a great opportunity. I put in a proposal, prayed hard and waited for the response. I kept praying and praying but there was no response. The opportunity was lost. It was hard not to get frustrated at God! I asked myself, did God reject me? In Gen 4 we read the story of Cain and Abel. It is a story of the effects of sin upon Cain, who was the first person born under sin. Cain gives an offering, but it is just ‘some’ of what he can give. We find in 4:5 that God had no regard for Cain’s offering and so Cain got angry. It is hard to strike out against God. So where did Cain strike? He struck out against his brother. Sin wants to bring in division between people and the easiest target is the person with whom Cain is closest – his brother. The result is that the relationship is destroyed. Sin used Cain’s feeling of rejection from God left him isolated. It makes me wonder if I ever feel rejected by God. Perhaps it is when I pray for something and God doesn’t answer me in the way I want, in the time frame I want. Perhaps it is when I feel rejected by others who are part of God’s people. It also makes me wonder what I do with that rejection. Do I hit out at those who are close to me? Do I realise what is going on? Or do I resolve it and return to an inner state of peace? Taken by http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/rejected/ used with permission.

I believe in real choice, and that God doesn't know everything I'm going to choose. Therefore, for me, prayer is important. It also helps build relationship. Without talking with someone, are you ever going to really know them? So you believe God is not all-knowing? What scripture says this? You stated that God doesn't know everything you are going to choose. I'm not sure what scripture you got that from so I asked if you believe if God is all knowing meaning... What scripture says that God is all knowing? This comes from Greek philosophy, not from the bible.

I believe in real choice, and that God doesn't know everything I'm going to choose. Therefore, for me, prayer is important. It also helps build relationship. Without talking with someone, are you ever going to really know them? So you believe God is not all-knowing? What scripture says this?

Islam is a religion and not a culture and there are many branches of Islam and many cultures which have been influenced by Islam.

I believe in real choice, and that God doesn't know everything I'm going to choose. Therefore, for me, prayer is important. It also helps build relationship. Without talking with someone, are you ever going to really know them?

I suggest there are some values within some cultures. Not sure there are 'cultures' that are not compatible. Can you give an example?

In many countries in the West there is a debate about Multiculturalism. Some people see it as a good thing that enriches people’s lives with difference experiences and should be fully embraced. Others feel a sense of fear of losing their culture and their cultural identity. I think this shows that there are both good and bad things about multiculturalism. One of the things I like about multiculturalism is bringing in new ‘foreign’ foods. Some of them have an inviting smell that waters the mouth. They are ‘foreign’ to the local scene but this doesn’t make them attractive to people. When we start to follow Jesus we enter the kingdom of God. We are no longer ‘strangers and aliens’ (Eph 2:19) to God’s people but are part of God’s family. Then we become ‘citizens of heaven’ rather than this world, and therefore are ‘aliens’ in this world. For some our ‘being foreign’ (or ontoxenos) will be a negative thing. Jesus’ died for our sins because none of us are ‘good enough’. Some people get offended with the idea of not being good enough. When we live out a life that truly knows we aren’t good enough to earn God’s love and just receive God’s love because he is love, this can offend some people. On the other hand, if we truly live out loving one another as Jesus as loved us, then this will be attractive to others. When we truly live out a Christ centred community people will be attracted to this. It makes me wonder how much I contribute to this sort of community. Where do I do this? How can I help this happen? It also makes me wonder ‘how do others see my community’? Do they think it is loving? Do they think it is attractive? (Taken from http://ontoxenos.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/multiculturalism/ used with persmission)

No. But I'm sure you'll find people to tell you all sorts of rubbish.