BibleStudent100

Hi Adrien, What do you mean by "playground"?

So true Knotical, speaking in tongues was done away with. According to the Bible, this gift and the other gifts of the spirit were always conveyed to persons by the laying on of hands of the apostles of Jesus Christ or in their presence. Thus, after their death and when the individuals who in that way had received the gifts died, the miraculous gifts resulting from the operation of God’s spirit must have come to their end. Such a view agrees with the purpose of those gifts as stated at Hebrews 2:2-4.

Good morning Miss Muffet, What is the context of holy water, the matter you raised. Did someone raise this issue before? I am sure we all agree that water baptism has to occur by complete immersion in water, not through sprinkling. Furthermore, there are no instances of child baptisms in the Bible, only of those of discerning age. There seems to be universal accord here. Have a blessed day.

We sometimes forget that news outlets exist to sell a product: information about what is going on in the world. We all want to know about our world and what is happening in it (remember when Jesus himself referenced a current news event at Luke 13:4), but it is so hard to understand the issues when the spin is becoming ever increasingly biased. My solution: I get my news from about a dozen news sources across the political spectrum (granted, this is a time consuming proposition). Somewhere in there, I hope to discern the "truth" about what is going on our planet. How do you all figure out the truth of the world conditions?

So how many posting in Worthy Christian Forum are AI generated? How would we know? With the increasing difficulty in understanding what "true news" is, some have coined the phrase, "Post Truth." Many young ones (I am a college professor) believe that the truth of what the news is, is so hard to discern that they don't either follow the news or believe that so much is "fake" that nothing is "truth." Oh, and this is EXACTLY what the Devil wants as he tries to cloud the truth from all of humankind. If people can't find the truth in the news, then why bother to find the truth in religion.

Being a desert dweller, I attest to that!

I am so jealous of you folks who live in 4 seasons! I live in the desert of So Cal and it is hot from April 1 to November 1 and it is sunny every day. The heat is brutal! I am SO tired of the sun; it is relentless. Even when you park your car, there is no shade as we mainly have palm trees. Everything just burns. When I retire, I am moving to Vermont. I can't wait!

I have always wondered about the extra Christian faith challenges involved in being born very rich and being born very handsome or beautiful. For those of use in the "average looks and average money" category, we are not as "tempted."

Hi Michael, I live in a wealthy area and benefactors donate to our local colleges, hospitals and to our local concert houses, PROVIDED their names are splashed onto the buildings. One wonders the intent of their donations. Plus, you factor in the huge tax deduction and you question how much of a sacrifice they are doing for the community or for personal agrandizement. And of course, we all remember these verses: “Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. 2 So when you make gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gifts of mercy may be in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you (Matthew 6:1-4).

So true OrangeCat. Trying to "negotiate" with God by sowing one's wild oats and then returning to the Lord at the last minute "mocks" God by thinking that one can "out maneuver" God.

Hi OrangeCat: Thank you for sharing an application of life lessons that our animals can teach us. I love the details of your story!

That sounds like a peaceful world, but one which is highly alienated from God (or in other words, what we have now) as each person does what he wants. The Lord wants us to abide by HIS standards, not our own. At some point, God will judge humans and leave only those humans who love and adore His standards.

Neighbor, our prayers are with you and focus on protecting yourselves and your property. Please give us an update when the worst has past. God bless

I read your post carefully and I thank you for your honest expressions; I now know you a little better and I appreciate what you do for the Lord. Thank you my brother!

It sure seems like our storms are worsening, along with substantive weather changes. What do my esteemed spiritual colleagues believe about weather change and Bible prophecy; is there a connection?

That was a fun read--Tx for sharing!

Yes, usually leaven has denotes negativity, but in this instance, it generates a positive response in Christians. And just as one word (like lion, that can refer to Satan [1 Peter 5:8], but can also refer to Jesus [Revelation 5:5]) can have double meanings, both positive and negative, leaven does so likewise. So here is another understanding of this short parable: The housewife deliberately added the leaven, and the results were positive. The leaven was hidden in the mass of flour. Thus, the leavening process was hidden from the view of the housewife. This reminds us of the man who sows seed and sleeps at night. Jesus said that “the seed sprouts and grows tall, just how [the man] does not know.” (Mark 4:27) What a simple way to illustrate the unseen progression of spiritual growth. We may not see the growth initially, but eventually its results become manifest. Like leaven, the Kingdom-preaching work that has prompted this spiritual growth has expanded to the point that the Kingdom is now being preached “to the most distant part of the earth.”

I know dementia is not part of this thread, but I have extreme sympathy for those who care for family members who suffer from dementia, or any of its manifestations. Dealing with these good folks is so challenging! My wife and I ushered my father and her mother through dementia until the "end," and we learned a lot. We sometimes failed in our tolerance and acceptance of our parents. And certainly frustration and even anger on our part was embarrassingly shown toward them both on occasion and I have regrets about that to this day, but it is so difficult to deal with the illogical and maddening behaviors of our parents. Still, we have to show tender affection and patience toward them. A few scriptures come to mind regarding caring for dementia patients: Proverbs 23:22:  "Listen to your father who caused your birth, And do not despise your mother just because she has grown old." Leviticus 19: 32: "32 “‘Before gray hair you should rise up, and you must show honor to an older man, and you must be in fear of your God. I am the Lord." Again, I honor and respect anyone who works with older patients as dealing with a faulty brain that worsens regularly is a sad way to end a life that was filled with triumph and praise for our Creator. But God's kingdom is the answer!

Deceiving Achish David pretended to be insane to escape Saul and take refuge in the city of Gath, where he deceived the king, Achish, into allowing him to stay. Deceiving Ahimelech While fleeing from Saul, David lied to Ahimelech the priest, saying he was on official business for the king. This lie resulted in the deaths of Ahimelech and the other priests at Nob. Deceiving Pharoah Abraham represented Sarah as his sister. This resulted in Pharaoh’s taking beautiful Sarah into his household to be his wife, but before he could violate her, God had Pharaoh give her back. And the list goes on...Some have referred to these "deceptions" as "theocratic war strategies." If there is a unique need to utilize "deception" for the Lord, then that is acceptable. This may sound only theoretical, but what happens if the government turns against Christians? Would we readily give up a fellow brother or sister or would we provide the authorities with misleading information if we could to save the lives or incarceration of our spiritual brethren?

Caution also needs to be applied because non-alcoholic drinks usually have more sugar than alcoholic drinks to compensative for a loss of taste due to less alcohol. Still, most cardiologists recommend a glass of red wine for a heart healthy life.

Hi Ghostdog, Very sad chapter in history, that sadly, has been repeated throughout history. I am reminded of the verse, "Man dominates man to his own injury" (Ecclesiastes 8:9).

Yes, this is definitely a stain on the history of Canada. Thank you for sharing your story.

So true and well stated! I really hate the "wisdom" that is spewed in our culture: "Follow your heart" "Find your inner truth" "Be true to yourself" etc. This is all the propaganda that emanates from Satan and the view he promotes: secularism.

Missmuffet, what state are you in? You mention drought. I thought that New England states got a lot of rain this summer. In So Cal here, so I certainly am envious of those who get to enjoy the fall colors! Have fun driving around in the next few weeks!

Well, Satan controls the governments and large institutions. Sounds like that small "g" is getting bigger...