Flsnookman
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Posts posted by Flsnookman
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Anyone know the 1st time medicine was mentioned in the Bible? ....it was when Moses brought down the 2 tablets....
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Sadly many can not accept that we are who God says we are, righteous, redeemed and Holy. We are no longer our old sinful selves, we are a new creation in Christ. We may not "feel" like the righteousness of God in Christ and we may not "think" we are as Jesus is here and now (1 John 4:17) but God says we are indeed both of those things. I have found when I think or feel one thing and God says something else one of us is mistaken (it isn't God).
The issue arises when people can not or will not accept God's definition of who we really are on faith. It is both a pride and ego issue as well. Once we believe what God says about us then we can walk in the light of the Truth and truly begin a relationship with Jesus.
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7 hours ago, Dok said:
Our status is saved. Forever. We sin, but our standing is not sinner. We are the Righteousness of God in Christ. Saved for eternity. Nothing can plunge us back into the status of sinner.
amen
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In spite of the erroneous teaching of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and of other false sects that “no man has a soul,” the Bible states emphatically that man was created a trinity of spirit, soul, and body even as the eternal God is Himself a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The trinity of man is an essential part of the image relationship between him and God. Life is not ultimately physical and the body is not the whole man. And we might add that neither the body in itself, nor the soul in itself, nor the spirit in itself makes up the whole man, but he is “spirit and soul and body.” This must be seriously considered and definitely agreed to before we can comprehend with any accuracy the subject of life after death. In this opening chapter we shall confine our material to the spirit and the soul inasmuch as the body will be considered in succeeding chapters on the resurrection.
The Spirit
The word “spirit” when used in the Scriptures has several meanings. Whenever the word “Spirit” appears used with a capital letter, it has but one meaning. It is the name of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit of God. The word “spirit” spelled with a small letter may have one of several different meanings. It can have direct reference to the spirit of man which is as much a part of the tripartite nature of man as the Spirit of the living God is a Person of the Holy Trinity. Or it can indicate an evil spirit such as any agent of the Devil. We will confine ourselves here to the Biblical usage of the word only as it relates to the spirit of man, one of the three constituent parts of his being.
The threefold nature of man might be illustrated in several ways. Dr. Clarence Larkin uses three circles (Rightly Dividing The Word, page 86). The outer circle stands for the body of man, the middle circle for the soul, and the inner for the spirit. At this point it will be well to quote a portion from Dr. Larkin’s book:
In the outer circle the ‘Body’ is shown as touching the Material world through the five senses of ‘Sight,’ ‘Smell,’ ‘Hearing,’ ‘Taste’ and ‘Touch.’
The Gates to the ‘Soul’ are ‘Imagination,’ ‘Conscience,’ ‘Memory,’ ‘Reason’ and the ‘Affections.’
The “Spirit” receives impressions of outward and material things through the soul. The spiritual faculties of the ‘Spirit’ are ‘Faith,’ ‘Hope,’ ‘Reverence,’ ‘Prayer’ and ‘Worship.’
In his unfallen state the ‘Spirit’ of man was illuminated from Heaven, but when the human race fell in Adam, sin closed the window of the Spirit, pulled down the curtain, and the chamber of the spirit became a death chamber and remains so in every unregenerate heart, until the Life and Light giving power of the Holy Spirit floods that chamber with the Life and Light giving power of the new life in Christ Jesus.
It develops then that the spirit of man, being the sphere of God-consciousness, is the inner or private office of man where the work of regeneration takes place. Dr. James R. Graham says that the main theatre of the Holy Spirit’s activity in man, and the part of man’s nature with which He has peculiar affinity, is the spirit of man. The Apostle Paul gives us the Word of God on this, a passage that is sadly neglected. Quoting from the sixty-fourth chapter of the book of the Prophet Isaiah, Paul wrote:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
A great many people stop here, content to remain in ignorance. However, Paul continues:
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-11).
Man in his unregenerate state comes to know the things of man by the operator of “the spirit of man” which is in him. If I have a will to know certain scientific facts, by my human spirit I am enabled to investigate, think, and weigh evidence. If I set myself to the task, I may become a scientist of world-renown and of great accomplishments. However, my human spirit is “limited to the things of man.” If I want to know about the things of God, my dead and dormant spirit is not able to know them.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).
The human spirit requires “the spark of regeneration” before there is an understanding of the things of God. Man’s spiritual nature must be renewed before there is a true conception of Godliness. Only one thing stands as a guard at the door of man’s spirit, and that is his ownwill. When the will is surrendered, the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the spirit of man. And when that transaction takes place we will know it, for, says Paul:
The Spirit Himself (meaning the Holy Spirit) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God (Romans 8:16 R.V.).
Many people confess that they get nothing out of the Bible even though they attend church and read their Bibles regularly. Perhaps they do not know that they are not regenerated and that they need to yield their will to the Spirit of God so that He can renew their human spirits. The deep things of God never will be understood by the world outside of Jesus Christ. Our Lord warned His disciples,
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6).
The spirit of the unregenerate man has no more capacity to appreciate the things of God than a dog has to appreciate holy things, or a hog a genuine pearl necklace. We read that “The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:22). This they did because the dog was a dog and the sow was a sow. No amount of religion or church activity can change the spirit of the unregenerate man. “Remember,” says Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, “if out of false charity or pity you allow men of material ideals and worldly wisdom to touch holy things, to handle the pearls of the Kingdom, presently they will turn and rend you. This is the whole history of Christendom’s ruin, in the measure in which Christendom is ruined. We gave holy things to dogs. We cast the pearls of the Kingdom before swine.” The ministry of Christ’s Church dare not be entrusted to any man who has not been born again, for “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
The Bible says; “There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (Job 32:8). Here we are told that it is the spirit of man that is given understanding. The materialist tells us that the spirit of man is the air that he breathes, and that man’s body is all there is to his personality. Such is not the case. The spirit of man is his personality and it is that which differentiates him from the lower animal creation. If “spirit” meant merely “breath,” God certainly would not deal with it as a personality. He is called “The God of the spirits of all flesh” (Numbers 16:22), and “the Father of spirits” (Hebrews 12:9). It is by his spirit that the Christian both serves and worships God. Paul testified: “For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel” (Romans 1:9). Jesus said: “God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
The Soul
Man not only has a living soul but he is a living soul. The Bible says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). We must be careful not to confound that which is truly spiritual and that which is merely soulish or psychical. We have seen that the spirit of man is the sphere of activity where the Holy Spirit operates in regeneration. Just so is the soul the sphere of activity where Satan operates making his appeal to the affections and emotions of man.
Satan knows full well that he dominates the psychical or the soulish man. Therefore he does not care if a man goes to a church where the Spirit of God is not in evidence. He knows that his victim is a creature of emotions, and it matters not if the emotions are stirred to sentimentalism or even to tears, just so long as man’s spirit does not come in contact with God’s Holy Spirit. Personally, I believe that Satan would rather have man go to a modernistic church where there is false worship than he would have him go to a house of prostitution. The soul is the seat of the passions, the feelings, and the desires of man; and Satan is satisfied if he can master these. F. W. Grant has said that the soul is the seat of the affections, right or wrong, of love, hate, lusts, and even the appetites of the body.
Hamor said to Jacob, “The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter” (Genesis 34:8). Of David and Jonathan it is written: “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1). These passages show the soul to be the seat of the affections. But as the soul loves, so it also hates. We read of those “that are hated of David’s soul” (2 Samuel 5:8).
It is in the soul where fleshly lusts, desires, and appetites arise:
Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul (Peter 2:11).
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country (Proverbs 25:25).
It shall be even as when a hungry man dreameth, and behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty; or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite (Isaiah 29:8).
The soul of man, that is, his affections and desires, are never directed Godward until after the spirit has become regenerated. Man can never love God nor the things of God until he is born from above. He may have a troubled conscience or be so stirred emotionally that he may weep bitterly, and still remain dead in trespasses and in sins. We do not feel that we are guilty of judging men when we state that some who have answered an altar call and shed tears never were born again. Man’s desires and affections are turned toward God when he realizes his sinful condition and God’s grace in salvation. When the Spirit of God illuminates the spirit of a man with divine light and life, that man begins to yield his affections and faculties to God.
The Virgin Mary said; “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46, 47). She could not extol the Lord in her soul until she had recognized God in her spirit as her Saviour. The initial triumph is in the spirit when Jesus Christ is acknowledged as personal Saviour.
In that immortal classic of the Psalms, David says: “He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:3). The Hebrew word translated “restoreth” is said to mean quite literally “turneth back.” At no time had David lost his salvation, but there were times when his affections and desires were turned from the Lord, as in the case of his sin with Bathsheba. Having become one of the Divine Shepherd’s flock, he testified: “The Lord turneth back my soul.” The Christian who is enjoying unbroken communion with his Lord will then be able to say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:1).
The rest of the article by Lehman Strauss.
Lehman Strauss taught Old Testament history for eight years at Philadelphia Bible Institute, and served as pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, Bristol, Pennsylvania, from 1939 to 1957.
He was pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church (Highland Park, Michigan) until the end of 1963 when he resigned to devote full time to an itinerant Bible conference and evangelistic ministry both in the States and abroad. Dr. Strauss was residing in Florida and writing his 19th book at age 86 when the Lord called him home in June 1997.
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1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him inspirit and in truth.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
! Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit
. Man A Trinity (Spirit, Soul, Body)
The Christian doctrine of immortality cannot be understood apart from the right conception of the tripartite nature of men. Many think that man is a physical being only. There is a great danger of any man thinking thus of himself. In his desire to satisfy the needs of the body there is the tendency on man’s part to lose sight of the fact that he is immortal. There have been persons who have lived all of their lives either in ignorance or willful neglect of a life after death, but upon their death-bed they suddenly realized that they were more than physical beings.
There is an idea also that prevails largely today that man consists of only two component parts: namely, body and spirit. In the thinking of the writer this view appears to be one that might create confusion in the minds of any Christians. While soul and spirit are so closely related that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish accurately between them, there seems to be only one logical conclusion: namely, that “soul” and “spirit” are not the same. The Bible does make a distinction.
Man is a triune being because he is created in the image of God. “God said, Let us make man in Our image” (Genesis 1:26). We know that God is a Trinity. The Holy Trinity is clearly set forth in the Apostle Paul’s benediction that closed his Second Corinthian Epistle: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Our Lord Himself said, in what we call “The Great Commission”: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). Created in the image of God, man is likewise a trinity. He has a spiritual nature that is separate and distinct from the body in which it dwells.
The two following passages from the Bible clearly establish the fact that man is a triune being composed of spirit, soul, and body:
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (body), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
The above passage is from Lehman Strauss and reprinted in bible.org from the series Death and afterword.
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We are made in God's image, God is a triune being we are triune beings.
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2 hours ago, Butero said:
Christianity is a religion. It is the one true religion, but it is a religion. Christians that say stuff like that are persecuting themselves and don't know it.
There are people that are part of cult religions, and they are religious and don't have God, but that is not what Shiloh was speaking of.
Religion is a guy sitting in church thinking about fishing, relationship is a guy fishing thinking about God.
Now I have nothing against attending church, but it becomes religion when one goes to try and gain righteousness or to impress others. To me we should be going to be further taught the Word to fellowship with like minded brothers and sisters and to praise God. Jesus did not care for religion, He did and does want a relationship. I fear many who attend church "religiously" twice a week will be told depart from me I never knew you.
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Once saved we are no longer sinners. Our sinful old self is crucified and the new creation is risen up in Christ. It is very difficult to accept that we are no longer sinners because our flesh still is wicked but that is NOT our true identity once saved. The Word says that we are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21) and that we are spiritually in Heaven right now (Phi 3:20). It also states we are as Jesus is here in this world (1 John 4:17).
So many (myself included) have been taught for so long that we are still sinners but that is a lie. I know it does not "feel" like we are righteous and we often do not "think" we are Holy but I am learning that when God says something and I "feel" or "think" something else one of us is mistaken..(it isn't God).
The entire gospel of Jesus Christ is about coming to believe we are who God says we are. It is only when we realize we are righteous and worthy and loved that we can follow Jesus' commandments to love God and love others. It is a very difficult concept and most will not grasp it. In fact many will become so offended by it that they will attack anyone who repeats it. They attacked Paul and everyone since but that is ok also as the Word says that is exactly what will happen.
When one comes to know their true identity then any power any other human has over them is gone. Those in power cant have that and those still in bondage get very envious. That is sad because it is Truth and available to all who would hear it. Once we start walking in the light of the Truth then amazing things start to happen. Sadly as the Word also predicts very few will be able to put aside what they think and feel and rely on faith in what they can not see, the road is indeed narrow.
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Ok, having eternal salvation does not mean sin is ok, in fact it means we are dead to sin. I can only speak to my own situation but when I was saved a change occurred inside me. I am no longer the evil,selfish person I once was. I no longer want to hurt others or be disobedient to God. If someone says they are saved but is still the same as before then they should probably pray and ask God why this is. I am saying and in fact Jesus also says we are no longer our old sinful selves. Our real,true identity is now who we are in Christ. Will the flesh still mess up sometimes? Of course it will but since that is not who we really are any more it can not affect our salvation.
Trust God instead of your feelings when He says you are righteous and redeemed. Trust in the work Jesus finished at the cross.
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On 8/27/2016 at 9:42 AM, WebersHome said:
Christianity is sometimes criticized as a religion of fear. Well; that criticism is not entirely without merit.
● Luke 12:4-6 . . I tell you, my friends: do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.
I've always thought it curious that Christ didn't say that to his opponents, rather; to his disciples. (Luke 12:1)
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Well, everything changed at the cross. Again, be afraid if you want to but I will have boldness in the day of judgement (1 John 4:17) and I shall approach the throne of Grace with confidence (Heb 4:16).
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By what I read and please correct me if I am mistaken, It looks like you are questioning my faith?
No I would never question your faith, I just see people using semantics all the time when they disagree with something. I am sorry if you took that any other way.
As someone who has been healed of alcoholism and addiction I know that Jesus can and will heal us. I also know that it would be absolutely impossible for me to ever deny Jesus. I might "backslide" or my flesh might win sometimes but that is NOT who I am any longer. The whole point of salvation is that our old selves are crucified, we are no longer our old selves. Our true identity is now the new creation we are in Christ. That can never be "undone" and as far as salvation goes we are sealed. Many churches want us to believe we can lose salvation so that they can keep control but again as the Word says if the Son sets you free you are free indeed.
I know this is a difficult concept as many many churches teach that it's possible to lose salvation but Jesus and paul both say it is not. When God says we are sealed and redeemed we are sealed and redeemed. Many preachers will take certain verses out of context and try to wrestle control away from God by using fear of damnation as a tool. They say do it my way or else....I prefer to follow THE WAY.
Again I apologize for any misunderstanding.
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I find it interesting when Christians speak of something they disagree with we tend to use semantics like.. "But if I willfully continue in sin, knowing that I am willfully disobeying the Holy Spirit of God, and do absolutley nothing about it,not coming to the cross of Christ Jesus with it, then my heart can become more and more hardened to the point of it becoming seared, and when that happens, than I am not longer walking in Faith but rather am mocking Him, blaspheming against Him. and that is when it becomes unforgivable". Do you honestly see yourself as being able to become so heart-hardened as to one day suspend your belief in Jesus? The problem with these statements is that we can use words to promote any idea we want (can God make a rock so heavy He can't lift it?) but they are of zero value.
We must look inside ourselves and to the Word of God to recognize the real truth. Failing to have faith that we are who God says we are is the main reason for all that is wrong today. God says we are redeemed and sealed and that we are righteous and worthy. I just can not fathom how anyone who knows Jesus could ever say they could reject Him. Yes we may get mad, yes we may stumble but reject Jesus?? Never.
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11 hours ago, bonnieschamberger said:
God is faithful to change us from glory to glory,He is faithful to finish what He started and guess what it all begins with Him loving us and loving on us.I know I have not read the entire bible yet but I do know that the change in me took years and it was because He was loving me first and He was the first and only person to ever love me that way and it so moved my heart to respond to Him.Felt more like a natural thing.Im sorry I dont have scripture to quote.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: -
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
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3 hours ago, kwikphilly said:
Blessings All
I dunno,perhaps I am just so very Blessed to see the glass half full more often than not & I don't think I look through rose colored glasses......I have said it many times & I stand by what I've said because of my everyday interaction with people in America,God is pouring out His Spirit like never before! Halleluyah!
Maybe the area of South Florida that I live in is just a very large Christian community so I cannot speak for the whole of this Country....However,as Butero mentioned how there is so much obvious hostility towards Christians & the times are certainly much different than when we grew up...to me this simply confirms how busy Holy Spirit is drawing men unto Jesus,the enemy is livid,he is doing everything & anything he can to shut us Christians up & silence the Word of God......NOT GONNA HAPPEN_LOL,not as long as I have a pulse!!!
The other day my husband & pulled into a McDonalds which is in a really bad part of the town,I had a doc appt near there.....many homeless,crack addicts,alcoholics & some pretty shady characters out in the streets.....as we got out of the car 3 fellows approached us & asked if we had just 16 cents,I said " sure thing" & that is always my opening to pass out Bibles,spread the Gospel & minister to who God has me to minister to......Bingo,Glory to God,the 3 guys where thrilled to get Bibles and they were starving for the Love of Christ....these men were homeless,,looking for the next "high",stinking of alcohol & the sweetest little lost sheep you ever want to meet,,,,,Mike & I were ministering to them openly in the parking lot,others drew near asking for Bibles & asking to hear Gods Word.....funny thing is they forgot all about the sixteen cents,booze was the furthest thing from their minds & before you knew it some of them were sitting on the ground reading the bible to one another...........this is not unusual,I see this all the time & I just love the "streets"....Holy Spirit is truly busy in America ....I am so thankful & grateful to God that His sheep hear His Voice,America is a big pasture .......
Anyway,as I say....don't listen to the "evil reports",get out there & boast for Christ ,make a difference....I understand there are no more Bibles in hotel drawers,there is no more prayer followed by the pledge allegience in the classrooms at the start of the day,employers want you to be "politically correct" & say "Happy Holidays" instead of merry Christmas & so on & so on .....and?Bring it all back!!! We can if enough of us would get out there & get busy......This great Nation is still a free Country & still at the very least a predominantly Theist Nation if not Christian.....Praise,Glory,Honor & Thanksgiving to God Almighty
With love-in Christ,Kwik
AMEN!!!! We can either whine about whats wrong or spread the good news of Christ. Well done!!
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Wow, how disappointing. Guess everyone would rather argue than praise God. Fruits indeed.
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Well with all the bickering and discussions and arguments here I thought it might be nice to have a praise thread. No a lot of words and no arguing/discussing please just a quick praise...i'll go 1st.
Thank you Jesus for saving me.
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13 hours ago, Davida said:
That is a false claim by the Rcc. It is in the O.T. --Twice God made water come from the Rock: Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:2-13
This Rock was specifically referred to in the Old Testament: "And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer." Psalm 78:35
I thought the jews followed the pillar of smoke/flame, not the other way around...
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
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I do not think Hoddie is saying he doesnt believe the bible, he just isn't sola scrptura....for that matter neither is the bible which uses quite a few quotes that are not contained in it.
- The reference to "He shall be called a Nazarene" cannot be found in the Old Testament, yet it was "spoken by the prophets" (Matthew 2:23). This prophecy, which is considered to be "God's word", was passed down orally rather than through Scripture.
- In Matthew 23:2-3, Jesus teaches that the scribes and Pharisees have a legitimate, binding authority based "on Moses' seat", but this phrase or idea cannot be found anywhere in the Old Testament. It is found in the (originally oral) Mishnah, which teaches a sort of "teaching succession" from Moses.
- In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul the Apostle refers to a rock that "followed" the Jews through the Sinai wilderness. The Old Testament says nothing about such miraculous movement. But, rabbinic tradition does.
- "As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses" (2 Timothy 3:8). These two men cannot be found in the related Old Testament passage (cf. Exodus 7:8ff.) or anywhere else in the Old Testament.
- In 1 Peter 3:19, the Apostle Peter describes Jesus' descent into Hell, drawing directly from a Jewish apocalyptic book, the Book of Enoch, which is not part of the Biblical canon in Catholic or Protestant churches.
- In the Epistle of Jude 9, a dispute is mentioned between the Archangel Michael and Satan over Moses' body, which is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, and is drawn from oral Jewish tradition.
- In the Epistle of James 5:17, when recounting the prayers of Elijah described in 1 Kings 17, a lack of rain for three years is mentioned, which is absent from the passage in 1 Kings
So if the bible itself relies on tradition outside of scripture should we not at least consider it? Also, some here need to stop being so defensive whenever someone disagrees with them. Attacking a persons beliefs instead of answering questions does not help one's position or edify God.
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3 hours ago, Out of the Shadows said:3 hours ago, Out of the Shadows said:
A pastor has to fill the seats so he gets paid.
What a sad and jaded attitude.
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11 hours ago, Jayne said:
I mean no disrespect to you, but you should try reading the passages of the Bible where this comes from.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11 says that women may both pray and prophecy in church.
In chapter 14, he lists THREE groups of people who are to "keep silent" - and that chapter is about chaos in the worship service, not a blanket statement about all women.
Paul says:
- Only two or three people may speak in tongues and if there is no interpreter, those speaking in tongues must "keep silent"
- Only two or three people may prophecy and if someone gets a word of prophecy, the one already speaking must "keep silent"
- Wives are to "keep silent" and ask any questions about the services of their husbands at home
There is no directive in the Bible for all women to be totally silent in church nor any directive that says a women cannot bring a problem to a man's attention.
My own pastor - years ago - denied the women of the church a women's prayer/bible study. The men had a monthly time of fellowship/prayer groups/Bible study with men and we craved to pray together and read God's Word together as women.
He told us we could not because women were just a bunch of gossips and it would turn into a big gossip session.
Women at my church were broken to hear him say that to us. One of the older and much wiser women of our church came to me (I was about 32 at the time) and asked if I would go privately with her to his office and talk to him about this. We did. We did not "rebuke" him, but we explained our desire for women's prayer and Bible study. He relented, but never apologized for the insulting remarks.
And we did not and do not hold it against him. He has changed much over the past two decades. I cannot imagine someone teaching that we had no Biblical right to address this with him in church.
I think it might help to remember that a minister is still a human. Though they may be lead by God they still make mistakes and still must deal with issues like pride. Any time I hear a pastor say "I know it all and i'm right and that's it" I immediately discount anything that pastor says.
We make a grave mistake when we rely on a pastor or church or minister for salvation, only Jesus saves. Anytime a church leader becomes convinced that they and only they can correctly understand God's Word that church has become a cult.
I think attending church is wonderful and biblical, and it helps us grow in our faith.
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More Christians now than ever before...the revival isnt being televised...dont miss it!!
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48 minutes ago, HAZARD said:
Took me hours to look up and check all the Scriptures I posted, and you have not even checked half in such a short time and you ask me to answer your questions?
Are all the Scriptures posted not enough to answer your questions? Don't ask me to answer your question, read the Scriptures and ask God.
I also posted numerous scriptures but you choose to ignore them. The entire gospel of Jesus Christ is about who we become once saved and having faith in the work He did. What happens if one sins and dies before they can repent? Does that person lose what God has given them. As to the getting drunk and killing someone that is called semantics, it's like saying can God make a rock so heavy even He couldn't lift it. Since salvation has anyone seriously considered raping and killing another? If so then they were never saved to begin with. If one doesn't experience an amazing change when one is saved I would say their lack of faith may indeed be causing a barrier to salvation. I know Jesus, I know who He has made me to be and I trust Him. I honestly pray that all stuck in the self righteous/religious trap will one day be able to walk in the light of God's truth. It is amazing beyond words and I would wish everyone gets the opportunity to do so.
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Just now, markdohle said:
I am at fault in this, sorry. It was a play on the nuns story, I thought people would get it, but that is my fault and I am sorry about that. Fiction can go both ways, also from my talking to people, God does use their inner struggles to draw them closer to him, the thorn in the side that St. Paul talks about. Fiction can be used many ways. What does God see when he looks at a soul, he see everything, we see very little.
I need to be more careful in the future. I will also post this on the general discussion board, I need to let people know that I did not mean for it to be taken as non-fiction. I tend to forget how difficult this medium can be when trying to share something important. I will not make that mistake again. It was a story on how God brings all things out for the good in all who love Him.
Sorry if I have caused unnecessary division here, was not my intent.
Don't be sorry as it really doesn't matter what one posts. Our replies here come from the heart, some are filled with hate and some are filled with grace. It is evident which is which.
how could God not intend marijuana to be used by Christians?
in General Discussion
Posted
Interesting side note, while drug testing is common for most jobs from clerk to sports star, there are a couple of places where testing is conspicuously absent, the senate and the house of representatives do not require drug testing.