BibleStudent100

Is it time to move to another country? Yes Vine, that news is not surprising. There are a lot of stressors living in this country and we in the US do not always enjoy a similar standard of living compared to many European countries. But the causes of reduced life spans in the US compared to other advanced countries is systemic and improvement would be an overhaul in many long-held beliefs (e.g. moving to universal health care, changing gun laws, etc.) and America is not ready for such changes. All we can do is to focus on our our health and well-being and dedicate as much personal time and resources to the evangelizing work, as Paul reminds us: "Always have plenty to do in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Dave R, have you known people who say they are "born-again," yet are living in sin, such as denoted in 1 Corinthian 6:9,10?

I have only been to Israel once, so I am far from being an expert, but does the country really have a spiritual leaning? Are not politics, such as what we see in other countries, similar to what is going on in Israel. I really want to return to Israel for a deeper dive into the Bible site visits; I am so glad that it is not this week...

Works are a means of demonstrating the genuineness of our faith and our love. If we do not obey God we do not really love him or have faith in the rightness of his ways. (1 John 5:3, 4) But we cannot earn salvation no matter what works we do. Eternal life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ, not payment for our works.—Eph. 2:8, 9.

Hi OrangeCat, I enjoyed your thoughtful responses. I too was/am sometimes "critical" of why the Israelites so bitterly complained of their years in the wilderness and their lack of faith, DESPITE personally observing so many eye-popping and visually stunning miracles that broke the "laws of physics"! I used to think, if I had SEEN those 10 plagues and water being held back on the Red Sea while I crossed it (those walls of water could have been 60 feet high), I would have NEVER have complained about the Lord's hand being short. But then I visited the Masada in the Negeb Desert and then I saw: that is the barrenest desert I have ever seen and I live in the Mojave Desert! There is barely a scrub bus in much of that area. Can we imagine the hardships of wandering from place to place for all those 40 years? Yes, one's faith could be tested as we frail humans think way too much in the present and we focus on our current comfort level versus thinking about our future salvation.

The upcoming “day of judgment and of destruction” is compared with the destruction of “the world” of Noah’s time (2 Peter 3:5-6). At the Flood, the “world” that was destroyed involved the wicked ones, as the planet survived; again, it was “the ungodly people”—God’s enemies—who “suffered destruction.” During God’s upcoming “day of judgment,” (2 Peter 3:7) those who choose to be God’s enemies will likewise be destroyed. But God’s friends will be preserved, as were Noah and his family.

The English words, irenic and polemic, are both derived from Greek, with both appearing (in various forms) in the New Testament; polemics are concerned with war and irenics with peace. Throughout the Divine Word, we see countless examples of individuals, both human and spirit, who engaged in peaceful pursuits with the goal of changing human behavior and attitudes, but yet who had to at times implement approved divine vengeance wrought upon wicked people.

Well stated Grumix! We live in times in which most moderns believe that the Bible places women in a secondary position compared to men. But in actuality, the Bible elevates women and honors them! How sad that most do not appreciate how much God values women...

In order for Satan to offer the "kingdoms of the world" to Jesus, the "kingdoms of the world" would have had to belong to Satan. If that were NOT the case, then Jesus would have corrected Satan's claim to ownership of the "kingdoms" (governments) of that time and since that did not happen, then we accurately assume that Satan was telling the truth. He ruled the world then and by extension, can we say that Satan still rules the world? By reading the news about the atrocities being committed by governments today, that seems like a reasonable conclusion...

I see how Preacher C. H. Spurgeon is well respected here in this forum. He was known for his thunderous preaching from the pulpit while describing in graphic details the hideous torments awaiting sinners. Do we see much of this aspect of his preaching in the late 1800s used now days?

Although "encantado" means "nice to meet you," in more precise terms, it means "enchanted" to meet you and is close to the same word in French: "enchante."

Lonnie Frisbee, the young, long-haired hippie who has a deep love for Jesus, was a controversial figure for his sexual improprieties, including his homosexuality during those years. Was that issue addressed in the movie?

College English and Spanish professor here: "Igualmente" means "equally" or in your context, "the same to you." You could use it after someone gives you a complement or if someone says something nice to you, you say it back to them using that word. It is great that you are expanding your ministry by learning Spanish to address the spiritual needs of people in your community with that language background.

You are a good writer Dennis; thanks for sharing those stories. I had no idea what propane drivers go through. I just assumed most people had tanks like mine: clearly away from the house and at the end of my driveway with plenty of space to turn around. I am surprised you lasted so long at that job!

I have greatly enjoyed reading this thread that has generated a lot of interest. If I may, I would like to take a Biblical overview analysis of this topic: We should always respect the human body, the one created by God: "I praise you because in an awe-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful; I know this very well." Psalm 139:14 is just one of many verses that remind us to honor God by respecting our physical bodies. But do we respect our bodies if we engage in the following: *Smoking cigarettes *Using drugs recreationally *Engaging in sports activities that have a high risk of injuring our bodies *Ignoring our body's needs for proper rest and nutritious food *Working in occupations that expose our bodies to high levels of contaminants *Getting tattoos We should always work within the design features of our human bodies to the degree humanly possible and take care of them as in this way, we can honor God.

The Bible’s viewpoint is that we need to avoid addictive substances that would make us slaves both of a habit and of the men who traffic in the habit: “You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men,” states 1 Corinthians 7:23. Still, once one is addicted it is hard to quit, but not impossible of course! Interestingly, addictive drugs and herbs were common in Bible times, as prehistoric pipes have been excavated at the Mediterranean Sea and inland in Asia Minor. So the inhalation of the smoke of various substances has been a sacred, healing, or pleasurable practice since time immemorial. With a little bit of snark, I add, "you are in good company..." Now how to quit? 1. Be Convinced. Write down your reasons for quitting, and review this list regularly. A desire to be clean before God can be a powerful motive.—Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:17-19. 2. Get help. If you’ve been smoking in secret, now is the time to come clean. Tell those you have been hiding your smoking from that you are quitting, and ask for their support. If you want to serve God, pray for his help.—1 John 5:14. 3. Set a quit date. Give yourself two weeks or less, and mark on your calendar the day you are determined to quit. Tell your family and friends that you are quitting on that date. 4. Search and destroy. Before you reach your quit date, scour your room, car, and clothing for any cigarettes. Destroy them. Get rid of lighters, matches, and ashtrays. 5. Deal with withdrawal symptoms. Drink plenty of fruit juice or water, and allow yourself more time for sleep. Keep in mind that the discomfort is temporary, while the benefits are permanent! 6. Avoid triggers. Stay away from situations and places where you would be tempted to smoke. You may also need to cut off social contact with associates who are smokers.—Proverbs 13:20. Please give us a progress update my brother!

Walter, even though we don't know the exact pronunciation of the divine name, do you think we Christians should be using this name more often?

We need to go back direct to the inspired Scriptures themselves, examining them daily against what is taught us by men, and by this course get back to the “faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones”. And having rediscovered what it is, then we must “put up a hard fight” for it, to hold it and to practice it.

Beautiful story Marathoner; thanks for sharing...

Sadly, taxing the common people to a point of exasperation has been part of the human experience. Even by the end of the reign of Solomon, conscription for forced labor and the support of the government had become so burdensome to the people that they requested Solomon’s son and successor, Rehoboam, to lighten ‘the hard service and the heavy yoke.’ Rehoboam’s refusal to do so prompted ten tribes to revolt.—1Ki 12:3-19. Be it Republican or Democrat in the Presidency, the people are still over-taxed...

If I understand your question correctly, do you mean that adorning some Christian principles is possible without clear reference to Christ? If that is your question, then YES, it is possible. The founding forefathers extolled principles of fairness, equality, personal responsibility, all of which line up well with Biblical principles, but very few of these nation building men were known for their public stand and dedication to a Christian religion. If people of the world were to follow Bible principles, this world would be a much better place in which to live, even if they were not believer in Christ.

Yes, as mentioned in my first comments, the Bible writers some 3,000 were not as clear as we are today with quotation marks and pronoun markers that indicate who is speaking and to whom one is speaking, hence the understandable confusion. But if we focus on the theme of the Bible book, we see fidelity with one's affection to another and how the glory and riches of this world should not dissuade us from serving God and abandoning our commitments. It's a beautiful book that reminds us of the importance of our relationships!

At least three times she reminds the daughters of Jerusalem that they are under oath not to awaken love in her against her will and this is the third time (Song of Solomon 8:4): "I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem: Do not try to awaken or arouse love in me until it feels inclined" In chapters 2 and 3, there are many instances wherein she speaks of her undying love for her shepherd boy. For her to be abundantly clear that she rejects Solomon's advances would have been unwise, bearing in mind the powerful position of a King and what he might do if romantically scorned. In the end, Solomon allows her to return to her village of Shunem (likely the village of the maiden's).

It is true that the pronouns are confusing in this inspired book as the material is presented through a series of conversations and there is a constant change of speakers. The persons with speaking parts are identified by what they say of themselves or by what is said to them: · Solomon the king of Jerusalem · A shepherd · Beloved Shulammite · Her brothers · Court ladies (“daughters of Jerusalem”) · Women of Jerusalem (“daughters of Zion”). While some may espouse a greater meaning to the love story involving arcane metaphors, it is a true story of a young beautiful maiden who rejects the romantic advances of a powerful king who promises to adorn her with unbelievable amounts of riches. The lessons we can glean from this story is that genuine love remains unconquerable, inextinguishable, unpurchasable and Christian men and women as well as husbands and wives can benefit from this fitting example of integrity when temptations arise and allurements present themselves.

"Pride" and "arrogance" frequently go hand in hand. But one could have "pride," as in "pride in home ownership," as when one tries to keep one's house and property in good repair. One can take pride in maintaining a long marriage. One could be "proud" to serve God. But pride has to be kept tightly controlled or it can easily spin into "arrogance" or "haughtiness," a negative quality that the Bible roundly condemns.