Markie51

Please do not be overwhelmed with the following scriptural references-although limited-cited. Reading and meditating on them may likely help you. Your concern is not unusual. I felt that way at times part, but now I have gained more accurate knowledge-not just knowledge-about our Creator and Hearer of Prayer (Psalms 83:18) which leads to more and clearer understanding of his ways.-John 17:3; Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 1:9; 2:2; 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:24; 2 Peter 2:20. Our ways are not His ways. (Isaiah 55:8. 9) He is not going to lower his standards or righteousness to ours. If we love and respect Him, we must learn and practice (Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20; Romans 2:4) what is acceptable to Him.-Ephesians 6:10, 11. Compare: 1 John 2:17; James 4:7-10. Otherwise our prayers may not be heard or hindered.-Isaiah 1:15-17; James 1:5-8; 1 Peter 3:12; 1 John 15:14. Figuratively, “take a look in the mirror.” Does the council in the flowing scriptures reflect on you? Compare: Romans 8:5-8; 12:2, 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; James 4:4. Let you requests be known. (Philippians 4:6) Persevere in prayer and do not tire out. Compare: Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Be humble (James 4:6), sincerely repent (2 Peter 3:9) and work toward developing a new personality. (Ephesians 4:22-24) Our forgiving and lovingly heavenly Father welcomes all to a repentence.-2 Peter 3:9.

In some scriptures, women are represented as organizations “married” to inanimate things/beings. In the Old Testament, Israel was spoken of as a wife of God. (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14, 20) In the New Testament, the congregation of anointed Christians is spoken of as Christ’s bride. (Revelation 21:9-14) This reference to a symbolic woman (celestial organization) John sees is also symbolically married to someone, and she is about to give birth to a son…,” refers to the birth of God’s kingdom with Jesus as enthroned as King. Later her child is “caught away to God and to his throne.” (Revelation 12:5, 6) Compare Isaiah 54:5, Revelation 1:1. Centuries earlier, God had addressed this symbolic wife. (Isaiah 54:5, 13) Jesus quoted this prophecy and showed that these sons were his faithful followers, who later formed the congregation of anointed Christians. (John 6:44, 45) So these members, spoken of as God’s sons, are also children of God’s symbolic wife. (Romans 8:14) The apostle Paul adds the final piece of information when he says: “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:26; Philippians 3:20) The “woman” seen by John, then, is “the Jerusalem above.” Since Paul spoke of her as “above,” and John sees her in heaven, she is clearly not an earthly city; neither is she the same as “New Jerusalem,” since that organization is the bride of Christ. (Revelation 21:2) Notice that she is crowned with 12 stars. The number 12 is associated with completeness in an organizational setting. Hence, these 12 stars seem to indicate that she is an organizational arrangement in heaven, just as ancient Jerusalem was on earth. Jerusalem above is Jehovah’s universal organization of spirit creatures that acts as his wife, both in serving him and in producing symbolic offspring.

My Bible does not say "The Gospel" in this scripture. That word was not even implied, consider or used as an identifing label at the time this letter was written. Furthermore, I am not getting the piont you are making of the scriptual references to 1 Corinthians 1:18.

Yes, Abraham did marry his half-sister Sarah. Terah was the father to both of them, but they had different mothers. Keep in mind how different things were back then. Humans were closer to the perfection that Adam and Eve had once enjoyed. For such robust people, marriage between close relatives evidently did not present genetic dangers to offspring. However, at the time that God instituted the Mosaic Law, all sexual unions between close relatives were prohibited.-Leviticus 18:2-18.

Yes, some doubt that John actually ate insects, claiming that Matthew was referring to pods of the locust tree, wild fruit, or even a variety of fish. However, the Greek word Matthew used designates a family of grasshoppers commonly known today. This same species of locusts are eaten by people in some Arab nations. After having the head, legs, and wings removed, the locusts are dropped into meal and fried in oil or butter or eaten raw. Keep in mind that under the Mosaic Law, locusts were designated as clean for food.-Leviticus 11:21, 22.

This explanation is not supported scripturally. By reading the Gospels carefully, you will be reacquainted with many, many statements made by Christ that is contrary to him being Jehovah God. For a start, examine Colossians 1:15 and Philippians 2:6.

Those that take the lead in a Christian congregation have high expectation among their members regarding accurate messaging and counsel. This is in harmony with the Scriptural principle at Luke 12:48. Consequently, an unqualified teacher’s (elder, priest, pastor and so forth) words and actions come under closer scrutiny than those of other Christians members that are being shepherded. Furthermore, if such a man errs in his teaching and these results in problems for members of the congregation, or if his actions give occasion for legitimate offense, he comes in line for severe judgment.-Matthew 12:36, 37. The disciple James continues his argument: “We all stumble many times. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man.” (James 3:2) Since even exemplary teachers are prone to err in word, the peril of doing so is far greater in the case of unqualified men. And the more any teacher may err, the more harm will result to the congregation and the heavier will be the judgment against the individual. It would be wise to examine one self’s personal conduct and qualifications of understanding of the scriptures before accepting/taking the lead in the position of a teacher/instructor.-James 3:1.

The account of Pharaoh may be helpful. Pharoh, by refusing to release of enslaved Israelites, was influenced by Almighty God. Although God did not create this ruler wicked, He did allow him to continue living until He saw fit to execute his adverse judgment. God also influenced and allowed the circumstances that caused this ruler's wickedness in order to serve His purposes. (Exodus 9:16) Compare also: Exodus 9:12; 10:1; 20, 27; 11:10.

Refer to these few scriptures. They may help with an undratanding to Jerimiah 2;13. Isaiah 11:9; 12:3; 30:20; Jerimiah 17:13; Amos 8:11; John 4:14; 7:38; Revelation 7:17; 17:1, 15; 22:1, 2, 17.

The “living waters,’’ “cisterns,” and “broken cisterns” are metaphors. Judah and Israel had left Almighty God (Jehovah), the sure source of blessing, guidance, and protection (living waters). And they hewed out for themselves their own figurative “cisterns” by seeking to make military alliances-for example-with surrounding nations. Such cisterns, when filled with “alliances,” would eventually fail and become broken. This is worthy counsel in our time also. To abandon the true God in favor of human philosophies and theories and worldly politics is to replace “the source of living water” with “broken cisterns.”

Faithfull-prophet4040: In future posts please identify scriptures that you are discussing. I believe that you are referring to what seems to many to be a contradiction between Romans 3 and 4 where Paul is talking about a righteous standing with God does not result from “works of law”; and, where James is counseling that “…faith by itself, without works, is dead.”-James 2:14-17. I was confused also. Paul and James are counseling on two different points: Paul is referring to the Law of Moses. The stubborn Jewish leaders and some early Christian where having difficulty in accepting that the Mosaic Law and its requirements of adherence (works) had been done away with. (Romans 3:22, 22, 28). A righteous standing with God does not now result from “…works of law.” It comes from faith. What James discussed are not the “works of law.” James is referring to the works, or activities that Christians do in their daily life. “Works,” in this reference, will show if a Christian has genuine faith in God or not. Is their faith corresponding to works or actions? Faith, if it is not supported by actions, is useless. In others words, if we claim to have faith, but our personal conduct or thinking is not aligned then out faith is worthless.

I agree with your post, but with one exception: the soul. The original-language terms as used in the Scriptures show “soul” to be a person, an animal, or the life that a person or an animal enjoys. In other words, it is not that we have a soul, but that we are a soul. (Genesis 2:7; Exodus 1:5; Leviticus 24: 17, 18; Joshua 11:11; 1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Peter 3:20;) The “soul” also dies.- Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Revelation 16:3. The difficulty lies in the fact that the meanings popularly attached to the English word “soul” stem primarily, not from the Hebrew or Christian Greek Scriptures, but from ancient Greek philosophy, actually pagan religious thought. Greek philosopher Plato, for example, quotes Socrates as saying: “The soul,…if it departs pure, dragging with it nothing of the body,…goes away into that which is like itself, into the invisible, divine, immortal, and wise, and when it arrives there it is happy, freed from error and folly and fear…and all the other human ills, and . . . lives in truth through all after time with the gods.”-Phaedo, 80, D, E; 81, A. God is referred to as having a “soul“: Leviticus 26:11, 30; Psalms 11:5; 24:4; Isaiah 1:14; 42:1; Jeremiah 12:7; 14;19; Matthew 12;18; Hebrews 10:38

v Contrary to popular beliefs, the star-mentioned at Matthew 2:2-was not a sign from heaven and the three travelers-as being depicted as kings or wise men-is not supported scripturally. These so called “wise men” were from the neighborhood of Babylon and were not academics; neither were they kings and worshipper of the true God. They were, as most modern English translations read, “astrologers,” “stargazers” or “Magi.” They were “diviners” who engaged in a practice of predictions based on the position of the stars and planets of which is condemned in the Holy Scriptures. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Note, that only these astrologers were reported to have “seen” the star. If the star had been an actual physical body, it would have been as visible as a beacon to the public in general. But even King Herod had to ask them about the details of its appearance. It is also notable of their adverse results of their visit: placing in danger the life of the future Messiah. In consideration of their having been directed by a source adverse to God’s purposes as relating to the promised Messiah, it is certainly reasonable to ask if the one who “keeps transforming himself into an angel of light,” whose operation is “with every powerful work and lying signs and portents,” who was able to make a serpent appear to speak, and who was referred to by Jesus as “a manslayer when he began,” could not also cause astrologers to “see” a star like object that guided them first, not to Bethlehem, but to Jerusalem, to Herod, where resided a mortal enemy of the promised Messiah.-Matthew 2:1, 2; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 14; 2 Thessalonians 2:9. These facts give evidence that the star was from an evil source: Satan the Devil. The Bible describes him as using “lying signs and portents.”-2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:9.

It is established, by theologians, that Moses penned the book of Genesis. Prior to the creation of humans, no one was an eye witness to the creation account from the beginning through part of the sixth day. Therefore, it was conveyed directly by God himself to Adam. This may also have been accomplished-in parts or its entirety-through the preceding five generations, of Moses, by means of written documents or most likely oral traditions. Keep in mind that people of that time period enjoyed longer life spans. All three of these means may have been used. “This is the history of” (Genesis 2: 4) is simply an introductory phrase or a partial summary of Genesis 1:1 through 2: 3. As suggested in the preceding paragraph, this seems logical to me because of the means of retaining this biblical information. Genesis, as with other parts (books, for example) of the Bible, was not always penned in a chronological. Genesis 2 is more in depth about human creation and subsequent human’s earliest affairs. This part was rightfully the highlight of creation.

It seems to me that the “ytube [You Tube] preacher” is correct. If anyone succeeds in helping someone from a sinful course and to repent helps keep that person under Christ’s ransom, avoids a spiritual death and condemnation to destruction.-Ezekiel 18:21, 22; 33:11; Galatians 6:1.