David from New Bern

Is that progressive through our entire walk in your estimation?

"Too heavenly minded to be any earthly good." I have heard this statement said about some people. Why would someone say that about someone? What do they mean by this slur? Is it possible to be to heavenly minded?

Many of us went to Church yesterday, we could all benefit from our varied backgrounds and the multiplicity of places attended yesterday. What was said or demonstrated that you walked away with that has stuck with you today. Please tell us, for the benefit of the Body here...

When you look out over a Sunday morning audience or look at a church directory, what do you see? If the ages are close and economic profiles of the audience are very similiar, if the gathering is pretty much homogeneous is that a healthy congregation or does it matter? The modern church movement has accepted the Madison Avenue concept of demographic targetting. Is this in opposistion to the the Biblical model of the Body of Christ?

"All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down"....."All MY Rowdy Friends are in Therapy" or 12-steppers...If you want to upset one challenge him/her that alcoholism or drug addiction is not a disease, it is sin. The other half are on mood altering medication because they have a diagnosed behavior disorder that it addresses. Both groups are told they have an incurable disease and will need constant professional or group therapy to survive and cope. Yet, my understanding is that Jesus is the bondage breaker and sin is not a medical disease or a genetic disorder. Let the posting begin...Disease or sin...and how will the philosophy affect the solutions we seek?

I wrote a paper in Systematic Theology, which was a course requirement, entitled "This I Believe." Every student had the same assignment. During the course of the study we approached the major subject matters that theology requires us to face. But what I wrote in the interior of the paper is not what created conversation, it was my opening statement that got the real attention of the professor. He even quoted from it in chapel, which made me famous for 15 minutes. Here is a paraphrase of what I said, "The contents of this personal theology must be revisited, so always check the date of the thesis for my theology is a work in progress subject to be revisited." Here on the forum, I get the feel that unchanging theology is the goal. It is as if we are often saying, "I am going to tell you what I believe and you are not going to affect what I believe." Would it not be better to see our theology as developing? The other extreme would to be "easily tossed to and fro with every win of doctrine" but with each passing year with deep study and through the crucible of experience we should find that we did not understand what we understand now. But we should be decisive enough to be able to write and speak, "This I Believe." Do you believe our theology is suppose to change progressively as we mature, how so?

Only through the Holy Spirit would you be true even to the end of martyrdom. Our self-preservation instinct will fight us all the way, In the flesh we would go to our deaths looking an out. Our natural sinful desire to be accepted by the world we keep our light hid or seek acceptance ahead of being a wtness. It is only through the preparation and annointing of the Holy Spirit that we meet those opportunities with any kind of boldness (bravery). Peter before the denials and after the denials as he wrote the epistles is a good example. The Peter of the gospels and the Peter of the epistles seems to be two totally different people, but it is the effect of a life surrendered and led by the Spirit.

Boy that's good to know.. now I know I am not addicted.. I always get a cup of coffee first and always go check on the household last... You should be ok tah. How many check the board while the coffee is brewing??? I do..first thing computer is on last thing computer is off..sometimes I can't sleep because I am being hounded by some thread and need to speak my mind!! Then I have to get up turn on the computer make more coffee and search the bible or something in order to get onto the screen what I see to be truth..now that is obsessive!!! I'm using this thread to announce the formation of a 12 step program....Worthy Board Anonymous...Anyone willing to take a chip tonight....

No problem with the word study presented here, but there is an additional passage to be considered and again from the words of Jesus...

Not aligning ourselves with the world is a viable argument, because there are many things that democracy ask us to accept that our faith will not accept. But I beleive the stronger argument about patriotism is citizenship. Am I a citizen of this world? These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16 NKJV Is this worth discussing?

How would you define "world"? Is it the enemy organized in opposistion to the Kingdom of God?

That is where you step back and ask yourself what is the message of the book. It is the unveiling of Jesus' and His total character and what He has been up to from the beginning. The blessing is understanding that so our faith is built to the point of unshakeableness regardless of what is going on around us.

I would go get a 2 by 4 with a nail in the end and set it on the table...............................then use my hand...........after they left the room and cry .................because I hurt my hand.. .........Don't take me too serious on this one.

The Worthy famous IMHO... The last thing the world saw was Jesus seemingly defeated and hanging on a cross. His post-resurrection appearances were only to believers. Revelation shows Jesus not as "a man aquainted with sorrows and bruised for our iniquities" but shows Him as King and righteous judge. Not the messenger of only grace but the vengeance of judgment. If a person avoids Revelation they have a partial picture of who Christ is. The reason the book is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. To understand Him who was, and is, and is to come is the central idea of the text in my estimation. Partial understanding leads to comments such as the God of the Old Testament is not the same God of the New Testament. That Jesus Christ message was tolerance....etc...

I often find myself thinking through all my relationships personal and ministry-wise and what God would have me say and do. Before I realize it, I'm praying, then I'm thinking of my own life and what God is doing and then that breaks into praise. I recently move to a house with a back deck that looks at a small patch of woods. I stare up into the trees blowing in the breeze and my mind takes off into whatever it seems the Spirit brings to mind. Is that meditation? or a short Sabbath?

This place is beginning to consume me...how about you? What is the cutoff point in your mind of when you are in front of this screen too much?

I have studied a lot about the spiritual disciplines recognized generally as the way to exercise godliness. Meditation, is the hardest for me. However, I find myself unconsciously participating in such when I am studying a passage intently. Is meditation concentrating on Scripture or trying to connect with the presence of God? Or a little bit of both?

In a lot of people's minds one needs to be patriotic as a part of who they are as Christians. We hear the phrase "God and Country" a lot. Most sanctuaries have an American Flag posted and this Sunday there will be the singing of patriotic hymns. Is this too close a connection between faith and patriotism? Are some people convinced they are synonymus? Is there anything wrong with a ministry built mostly on activism?

What is the blessing promised?

Eric...help me understand...If it is commanded and as you have stated in outline form...we are empowered, placed in relationships for that purpose, and are given a divine sense of urgency...why would disobedience to a command not be termed backsliding?

All three children of mine are familiar with the lecture...all three told me "they wish I would just beat the snot out of them and get it over!"

Many people are intimidated by the book of Revelation and prophetic Scripture through out the canon, but particularly the last book of the Bible. Most never tackle the subject, many pulpits never bring it up. As a result what kind of Christian does non-exposure to eschatology create?

I saw Dr. Tony Evans at a evangelism conference not long ago, he said,"There are two types of Christians...soul winners and backslidders." Is he right? Or is evangelism a gift for the extroverted and Biblically knowledgeble?

Certainly an intervention example of someone who would come to faith. In fact can we conclude that when God does intervene it is always for redemptive purposes involving te target or someone in the audience of the miraculous. Or can we conclude that everyone receives mercy (Getting a break when we don't deserve it) in order that we might desire grace (the gift of God we don't deserve)? I actually use this as an ice breaker occassionally when called to visit in the hospital in select situations. I had a young man who had a hunting accident and was hospitalized. I was asked to visit him. So, after a few minutes of introduction I said, Everybody knows what mercy is...a close call! Can I tell you about grace? I did and he is in the church today.

sorry but on some things i just think its a basic moral of all human beings whether they be christian, muslim, athiest... So how would you react to your father then if he had constantly hit you all your life.... and i agree it could affect my parenting skills and this worries me alot... I had a father who used severe physical punishment beyond what I have practiced in my own parenting. I honestly think he may have gone overboard on occassion, but I have turned out pretty well and unscarred emotionally. Your father hitting you now is uncalled for and I would suggest that he probably has never hit you for a justified reason probably. He is striking out of anger and that is never right a any point in a child's life. It sounds like he has an anger problem. As for you, I don't know your age, but the hate response has got to be dealt with in order to remain spiritually healthy. As to how I would respond, he wouldn't hit me anymore, even if that meant severing the relationship temporarily hopefully or permanently if need be.