Who me

4 hours ago, bartmac123 said:

However, there is more to it.

One cannot cover every situation on a forum, one can only give guidelines, which is why I mentioned involvement  in church and having reasons for political. And theological views.

A superficial  Christian is just that, they have no depth and that is revealed  in there lack of commitment.  

2 hours ago, bartmac123 said:

is important for one to be vigilant about certain character traits of the love-interest/significant other in question

A couple of basic points  to consider  before even going on a date:-

Are they a Christian, involved in their church? Not attending church or not involved, walk away.

Are they in work, is it a good job with prospects, or working for a practical qualification?  If not walk away.

These apply to bove men and women.

Once dating, there is to be no sex, save it for marriage, again if they want sex and aren't  interested in keeping it for marriage, walk away from that relationship.

A must is to attend each others church services, to see how they are greeted, and what the teaching is like.

Another must is to talk politics and theology.  You don't  have to agree on everything but you both need to be able to give a rational fact based reasons for your beliefs.

Failure casts a dark cloud over that relationship,  only dispelled  by a willingness to learn, otherwise if belief is based on feelings walk away.

17 hours ago, Eman_3 said:

Yes, that the entire story was fabricated or at least some very key elements were. Take note that there were no direct first-person accounts, just stories told to people verbally (telephone game), passed down for at least 300 years before anyone put this story to paper.

More inaccurate accusations.

Too sources for you to investigate, both started out as atheists, both were challenged to use their skills and intelligence  to investigate Christianity.

They did and having followed the evidence ended up as zchristians.

Lee Strobel a journalist, wrote the Case for Christ, his investigation, interviewing top experts to find out did Jesus exist, did he die, rise again.

James Warner Wallace a coldcase detective used his detective skills on Christianity, see the coldcase hristianity Web site for the resul5s of his investigation.

Historian both atheist and Christian believe that Paul received the credit statemen found in 1 Cor 15:3-5 within  2 years of Jesus resurrection.

Gospel, Matthew, Mark , Lake and John were written within 70 years of the crucifixion,  that's the maximum  time there is evidence that they were written  within 30 years. The failure  of any to mention the destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70.

Legal experts have written that the gospels display all the hallmarks of being accurate accounts either by eyewitnesses or by those who had eyewitnesses to question.

Telephone game, this was an oral society, used to memorising  large amounts of verbatim  conversation, it was not told once in a hurrid fashion but given in many sessions with opportunity to check what was being learn.

17 hours ago, Eman_3 said:

namely that Jesus existed

Oh dear, do keep up with modern research, only the ignorant believe Jesus never existed, do see what atheist historian Bart Erhman has to say:-

https://ehrmanblog.org/gospel-evidence-that-jesus-existed/

If you believe Jesus never existed then you have to argue and present your evidence.

17 hours ago, R. Hartono said:

https://sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/boe018.htm 

They are the spirits of Nephilim killed by the Noah deluge.

 

Where in the bible are we taught that spirits of the dead roam the earth?

The bible teaches that the spirits of the dead are in an afterlife awaiting the day of judgement.

So stop reading the book of Enoch and concentrate  on the bible.

On 5/6/2023 at 12:34 AM, Daniel Marsh said:

Is a good verse to use with cults? Like the Jehovah's witnesses.

Zechariah 14:9
Easy-to-Read Version
9 And the Lord will be the King of the whole world. At that time all people will worship him as the only Lord with only one name.

For J W try 2cor 13  Keep testing whether you are in the faith; keep proving what you yourselves are.f Or do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in union with you? Unless you are disapproved

From the online new world translation.

Ask them are they I  union with Jesus?

What does to be in union mean?

Why if they are witness to Jehovah do they have to be in union with Jesus?

On 12/4/2023 at 4:39 PM, Starise said:

What else can YOU do besides pray

Pray yes, but also put things into the right perspective. 

Look at what God has done, count your blessing, spend time praising and thanking God for those good things, for hie enabling grace to cope, no matter how badly with the bad things in life.

Remember God good things for us is not health and wealth but a closer relationship with him.

Wesley's  words cannot be beaten.

               Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensible made man.

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

There is a lot of excitement and talk about the nearness of the Rapture of the church (yeah, I am one of them). Watching and listening to many reputable scholars and pastors on YouTube, most agree on a particular number

Only among those following these preachers.

Fact.  Jesus is coming again.

Fact. No one knows when.

Fact. Those on line preachers are 100% wrong, because no one knows when.

Fact. We are to live expecting Jesus's  return.

So amid all the pagan feasting and commercialism you are going to do nothing that shows that Christmas is about celebrating  the birth of their Saviour.

You are not going to explain what peace on earth means, what the good news is.

There are plenty  of gifts that benefit the poor and persecuted around the world and a card from you saying that the 20-50 dollars  you would have spent on them has gone to buy bibles, pay for an education, medical fees etc etc.

Your light display on your house can include a manger scene or don't  have one and give to your favourite  charity, ditto Christmas cards.

Christmas is a time when we can celebrate  if we want to, but also a great time for evangelism. 

22 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Every Christian on the face of the earth claims to believe in Jesus.

So how is it you can separate them from your own scriptural assessment

We do not judge the genuineness or the level  of commitment or theological correctness  of other Christians.

God will do that and reward those deserving a reward.

22 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Gentile does not become a Jew

No  we become something  far better, members of God's family.

Ultimately there are no Jews, no gentiles, no civilised, no barbarian only Christian and non Christian.

We are All judged by our relationship to Jesus and all other distinction  are valueless. 

21 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

The lie, or untruth, or incorrect fallacious statement

Your starting point has to be the ten commandments.

I found this:-https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-bible-say-do-not-bear-false-witness.html

A commentary on bearing walked witness.

18 hours ago, other one said:

There are two tribes today where it matters.....    Christians and non-Christians.    We really should not marry outside our tribe for the same reason they shouldn't have.

I agree with you, you are able to give honest and biblically based answers unlike the poster.

18 hours ago, Walter and Deborah said:

Just what the scriptures are saying.

Love, Walter

Let me get this straight. 

                              You think it is more important that we All marry someone from the same tribe we belong to and that idolatry  is immaterial. 

Because that is what the scriptures you quoted literally  teach.

21 hours ago, bbbshuaw said:

I’m just wondering if someone was to fall away and become worse, is it possible to be renewed to repentance? 

God is very gracious,  he has promised to never quench  the smoking flax or break  a bruised reed!

He knows our weaknesses, only the Christian worries about committing sins, so take heart you are not abandoned by God. 

You are incredibly  precious  to God, his Son suffered unbelievably inorder to save you, so do you really  think he is going to let you slip away?

You have to make the effort to praise God, to read and pray about your Bible readings, to regularly  attend church, to be involved  in church life, to live as a Christian and yes it can be very hard.

Look at the alternatives,  they all lead to an eternity without any experience of any of God's good gifts and worse no experience  of God, that is literally He'll.

Who is Israel?

Who is a jew?

Through out the bible God decries those who merely go through the motions, who have no belief.

Romans 2:28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

Israel is those who believe in Jesus.

For the ancient world Christianity presented many problems as detailed  here:-

http://www.tektonics.org/lp/nowayjose.php#one

We are today in an age where Christianity  presents many problems to the non Christian in terms of what they consider believable, challenges to behaviour and ways of thinking.

U fortunately  it is often the poor standard of Christian living  that presents the biggest challenge. 

Interestingly  Simeon was just and devout, alert to the prompting of the Spirit.

Those are characteristics  of someone who is disciplined and educated in what and why he believed.

Being ignorance of the bible, lax in attending church does not lead to being Spiritual.

19 hours ago, Walter and Deborah said:

Israel Intermarries

Could please explain the relevance of tribal intermarriage to us today?

I can see that in Israel it always led to idolatry, but just who or what are you trying to warn against.

Phil2:2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

It is not so much  a case of seeing others as less fortunate,  but rather a case of how can I be of practice help to others.

How many elderly or disabled  people attend your church? Ho w do they get there?

How many people live on there own and would value a shared meal on Sunday?

Are your churches  activities  being strangled due to lack of helpers?

Even more challenging how many struggling  churches do you pass inorder to attend your church.

How is your attendance at church an encouragement  to others?

13 hours ago, JohnDW said:

We will get legally married. But we are living away from family for at least another year and in a different country so want to wait to make it legal until we’re able to have proper wedding. But we don’t want to live together unless God will bless and recognise our commitment to each other. Nothing sinister. Just circumstance and wanting to be right with God if we live with each other.

Two options.

You live in two separate  accommodations until legally  married or

You have a quite marriage locally and live together as husband and wife until on your return home where you have the big family service blessing your marriage. 

10 hours ago, backontrack said:

where Sin is no longer recognized

Just as God is no longer recognised as being God, so the morality associated  with God and the consequential recognition  of what sin is.

10 hours ago, Daniel Marsh said:

How do we develop the tools for not being taken in by poor philosphy?  Also, dangerious Theology?

 By educating ourselves in both philosophy  and theology. 

The easiest  way of doing this is to know what the bible actually  says and not what  we think it says.

You could try https://www.st-helens.org.uk/live/

Or for recordings the https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/

Tristan,s reply points the poster back yet again to answers in genesis who have a great many articles on these subjects.

Just because people have an illogical dislike of those who believe the bible is the authoritative  word of God, should not stop one from reading the  results of there studies.

Take a look at AiG use the search function and read what they have to say about caring for animals on the Ark.