amazingrace

Regarding the other two men who were crucified with Jesus, the Bible does not say what exactly happened with their bodies. They may have had had family members or friends willing to take responsibility for them. If not, then their bodies were probably disposed of in the same way common garbage was dealt with... a simple trip to the dump, where the wild dogs would have made quick work of them. Sorry to be so blunt, but in those times that was the way it was.

This is a legitimate question, that deserves an answer. At the moment of death, the spirit leaves the body and is immediately ushered either into the presence of the Lord, for those who die in Christ, or, for those who die without Christ to another place to await final judgement. Where the 'other place is' is uncertain, but we do know that it is not a pleasant place, according to the Bible. Ecc 12:7 says ".....the spirit returns to the Lord who gave it" .... so we know that no matter if a person is a believer, or a non-believer, his spirit remains in the control of God. The Bible says "the dust (the body) returns to the ground, but the spirit returns to the Lord Who gave it." [Ecc. 12: 7]. Therefore, it is ONLY the body that is in the ground. When the rapture occurs, the body will be raised in glory, incorruptable and reunited with the spirit. All the dead will be raise, some to everlasting glory, and some to everlasting torment. The question was raised by someone regarding the bodies that are cremated, eaten by sharks, etc. The Bible and science agree that matter is neither being created nor destroyed..it changes form... but nothing new is being created. God knows where every molecule of everything He created is located in His creation ... it's probably not going to be difficult for Him to reassemble the dead when the time comes... even those bodies in graves are not complete because of decomposition (but this doesnt seem to trouble anyone much). Jesus' account of the rich man and Lazarus clearly demonstrates that there is continuous conscious knowledge after death. The rich man knew he was not in a good place. He knew that Lazarus was in a good place. Lazarus was 'taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom'. The rich man wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers lest the same fate should befall them, so we see that Lazarus also had conscious awareness of his surroundings. This story is about the spirit of Lazarus, the spirit of the rich man, and the spirit of Abraham. How can we be sure? We can be sure because the account says that the rich man was buried. No doubt Lazarus was buried too, (even though it says he '...was takin by the angels...' this can only mean that his spirit was taken... since angels are non-corporial beings, and operate in the spirit world), and we know that Abraham was buried, and in fact, we know where he was buried ... next to Sarah in Mamre).

Hagee has a heart for Isreal, there is no denying that, However, according to Hagee, there is no need to preach the gospel to the Jews because God made other provisions for them. In addition to this, he also teaches that the Jews wanted Jesus for their Messiah, but that Jesus rejected them! Of course we know this is contrary to what the Bible says, but Hagee flies in the face of reason when it comes to this subject. This is not hearsay, Hagee clearly makes these statements in his books.

My perfect world would be heaven, and I am looking forward to it too.

Falling, Satan knows our weaknesses and he knows when we are most vulnerable too. You have been through a lot that has tried, and hopefully, strengthened your faith. Satan also knows that you becoming stronger in the Lord, so he is being even more diligent in trying to distract yoiu from pleasing God. Yelling at Satan to leave you alone only instigates him to torment you more. James 4:7 says ''Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.'' Notice, it tells us to first give God the control of the situation. In doing so, resisting the devil requires very little effort on our part ... for the Bible also said ''Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world''... furthermore, the Bible says ''I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me''. The victory over this situation will come when you set you mind on things above, as the Bible tells us to do. It is not possible to think of one thing at a time, so choose what you want to think about.. submit your mind and thoughts to the Lord.

"So the question is, can we get any of that back here on earth, or ar we destined to live out the curse?" gandoblogger, Believers have the unique ability to experience continous peace and joy in the Lord in every aspect of their existence. While we are not exempt from the trials and tribulations that this fallen world has to offer, what we do have is the grace of God that the Bible says is sufficient for whatever we have to go through. In addition, the Bible says regarding work: 1 cor 10:31 Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Col 3:17 Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father. 2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. The apostle Paul wrote of Christ's suffering, that He looked past the present difficulty to the joy that lay beyond. This should be an example to us, that no matter what we face here, it is temporary, and that heaven awaits. No matter what kind of work we do, it is God who is providing for us... He is in charge of our health to be able to work, and He gives us the ability to do the job the best we can. Should not our attitude, then, reflect a joyfullness and thankfulness that He has placed us where we are, and shouldnt we worship Him for the opportunities our work provides to further His kingdom?

Singleness is a gift. Embrace it.

The Bible reports numerous instances of deception. God has withheld little from us, even the heroes of the faith are presented with all the warts and wrinkles of their humanity. What is reported, and what God actually approves are two distinctly different things. In the instance of the midwives, the Bible tells us why they disobeyed Pharoah and deceived his agents... it was because they feared the Lord. Add to their fear of the Lord, the fact that they were midwives. Their work was to deliver babies... live babies...and not be instrumental in their deaths. I dont think its a stretch at all to say that in addition to their fear of the Lord, they had a genuine love for the babies they helped usher into the world.

Its always better to tell the truth than to lie. This passage might be used to support ''situational ethics'', which worldly humanistic wisdom seems to be approving more and more. But we see in verse 21 what was really happening here : "and it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he built them houses'' Their action was not spurred by personal motive, indeed, they could have been put to death if their deceipt had been discovered (the houses came after God saw that they disobeyed Pharoah) The midwives feared God more than they feared Pharoah.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said ''suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me; for as such is the kingdom of heaven'' Only God knows the heart. At this point in her young life, she is capable of childlike like love. She loves her parents. She loves her grandparents. She loves Jesus. Whether she actually understands the concept of the sacrifice He made for her, is difficult to say. Most children of her tender years are unfamiliar with that kind of suffering, and have very little experience with death of any kind. What we can know, however, is that the love she has now needs to be nourished and encouraged, so that as she grows and matures this love will also grow and mature into saving faith.

Slim , If you have made a confession of faith in Jesus, accepting Him as your Lord and Savior, then what needs to be done next is the nourishing of that faith to eradicate doubt, allowing the grace of God to bring the peace that surpasses all understanding in your life. The following is paraphrased from the Billy Graham Christian Worker's Handbook, copywrite 1996: Strong faith does not simply materialize without any effort. It requires active participation through Spiritual discipline. There are steps to this process. None are difficult, however they do involve perseverance. Realize and confess to God that lack of faith (any doubt is lack of faith) is sin. Romans 14:23 Whatever is not from faith is sin. Recognize that the Bible is your most precious resource for faith Romans 10:17 So then faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the the word of God. Just in the NT, there are hundreds of referrences to faith (faith, belief, etc). A careful word search and study will reveal to you what God wants you to know about faith, and how it may be applied to your walk with Him. In your study about faith, also consider how faith and prayer relate to one another, and realize that faith is exercised through prayer. Keep a journal of your prayer requests and notice how your faith increases as you become victorius in your prayer life. Prayer in itself, if done in sincerity of heart, produces more faith, even when the results are not what we hope for. Faith is not just for getting our shopping list filled. Faith, coupled with prayer, brings us closer to God and brings us in line with His will for our lives. As you experience your faith grow, begin to test it by trusting God more and more, instead of relying on your own strength. Read Hebrews chaper 11, which tells about the Hebrew Hall of Faith... how the heroes of the Bible trusted God. 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always sbounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope this helps you in your desire to have your faith renewed and strengthened in the Lord.

I wouldnt read anything supernatural into this dream. First, you all were in a strange place away from home. Second, for whatever reason... perhaps to frighten the girls into not leaving the room? ... an adult suggested there was a ''shadow man'' (is ths the same thing as a boogie man?) someplace in the hotel, and because of this ''person'' the adult was afraid to sleep alone. This seems a bit backwards to me... isnt it the adults who are supposed to be looking out for the kids.. not vice versa? Being over tired and stressed from traveling, possibly eating at irregular times and not the normal food like at home, sleeping in a strange bed away from everything she considers safe and familiar, and then... being placed in the position of protector to boot. If anything in the dream is close to reality, I would say it is in Bri chasing the butterflies ... Really! Without knowing either girl, I am supposing that Chris took the ''shadow man'' theory a lot more seriously than did Bri? .. to the point possibly that Bri may have even ridiculed the idea?... while Chris was troubled by it? As for the message from ''shadow man'' ... yes, the Lord does speak to us through dreams ... but we need to test these things in light of Scripture ... ''coming soon'' is a message that has already been given. More than likely the message in the dream is a reflection of something she heard or read or watched on TV just before going to sleep, or a combination of many jumbled thoughts. But this could really be developed into a terrific story line ... no, I am not kidding.

If this person doesnt believe in ''church buildings'', and disagrees with the methodology of your sunday school and church, and challenges the celebrating of the birth of Christ and resurrection Sunday (aka Christmas and Easter), questions the salvation of the church members (what basis does he provide for this judgement of the hearts of others?), etc. ... it certainly begs the question ''what is his purpose for involving himself in your fellowship?'' .... without having first hand knowledge of what is going on... on the surface it appears that he has made it his mission to cause disruption and division and confusion. Paul wrote warnings about such people.

If we have to get out a calculator before making an offering to the church, we might as well not bother giving anything at all. God doesnt need our money... its already all His.. the real question is not how much of our money should we give to God, but rather.. how much of God's blessings do we need to keep for ourselves ? ... the Bible says God loves a cheerful giver. If giving to the Lord is more of grim duty than a cheerful service ... dont bother. Any church that the Lord is blessing will grow and prosper without any help from those who lack the heart to share.

Kitty, as believers we have been justified (our sin debt has been paid in full by Christ's sacrifice on the Cross). this is a one-time, done deal. When we accepted Jesus as Savior, we were sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified ... this is the on-going process where-in our faith becomes stronger as we grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God's grace. ideally, this would be an ever upward progression toward holiness... but in reality, we all make mistakes, falter and even backslide. the thing to do is to realize we have erred, repent and ask for forgiveness <-- this is not the forgiveness associated with our salvation ... we are already saved ... this is the same sort of forgiveness we ask for when we have offended an earthly father, who might be disappointed, even angry... but never can stop being our dad. And, in the end, we will be glorified .. when we finally leave our earth suits and arrive in the presence of the HOLY GOD. Imagine, one day being face to face with Jesus! and being brought into our full perfection of glory... never to sin again... ever... not even ever be tempted again ! Hold on to these truths kitty, and stop beating yourself up over past events... the main thing is... yes, you made mistakes... we all do... but did you learn something from it? Is the lesson you learned something that you can now use to minister to someone else who might be going through the same thing? Romans 3:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Lord.

Bro David, I posted a response that appears on page 7. Not sure if you saw it or not. It gives another insight to the question ''was Moses forgiven''. In His grace, Grace

Rom 13:14 Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Titus 2:11-12 The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ''NO'' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and goldy lives in this present age. Eph 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we are by nature objects of wrath. 1 peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ''Be holy, because I am holy.'' 1 peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul Romans 8:5-8 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. It is important to remember that you cannot just tell yourself not to think about it .... try not thinking about a pink elephant for the next five minutes ... see... all that is in your mind is that pink elephant .... what you have to do ... it is imperative... you must replace this passion (for that is what it is) for something you love even more... If you are in Christ, then He should be the center and focus of all you think, breathe and do... think of what will be pleasing to Him... and remember at all times God is watching you. Remember also that if you rely on your own strength, it will be difficult, perhaps even impossible to be completely victorious. James 4:7 tells us ''Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resisit the devil and he will flee from you.'' Too may people only quote the second portion of this verse... but the essential part is the beginning.

Getting back to the Moses question in this thread: I dont see any place in Scripture where Moses acuses God of being unfair in His action. He seemed to understand completely why he could not cross the Jordan. In this event, Moses exhibited anger with the people and disobeyed God in a couple of ways, in addition to failing to be an example of faith to the people he was leading, and finally,not giving God the honor and glory. God told Moses to 'speak to the rock' and it would do as it was commanded (give forth water). Instead, Moses struck the rock in the heat of passion, and in the process, he declared ''must WE (Aaron and Moses) fetch water''? ... as if it were them and not the HOLY GOD who was making the provision. Was Moses forgiven? Well, you be the judge. Did not Moses appear at the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus? Are we not reminded in Hebrews 11 that Moses is numbered among the faithful ? To our small human minds, being prevented from entering the Promised Land after having come so far and through so much, might seem to be an extreme punishment for what we might not deem too serious an offense. It was apparently a very serious offense to God, who saw fit to make an example of them to the rest of the people.

Psalm 19:1-3 1; The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork. 2: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3: There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Romans 1: 18-21: 18: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungoldiness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteouness; 19: Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20: For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse; 21: Because that, when they knew God they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Those who die without having ever heard the message of salvation, or a message of the true God will still be judged according to their own standards for what is right or wrong in their own conscience, which, because of their sin nature they violate even their own self-imposed rules.

When someone begins to gossip, ask some or all of the following questions : 1. '' Who did you hear this from?'' 2. ''How do you know this is true?'' 3. ''Is this information helpful in any way?'' 4. '' May I quote you on this?'' 5. ''Is this is supposed to be confidential; if so, why are you telling me?'' I wish I could give credit to the person who first said this, but I dont know who it is.

I was raised United Methodist. We routinely got a new minister every 4 or 5 years, but I dont remember ever hearing the gospel message actually preached. Christ's death on the Cross was just kind of skimmed over, mostly at Easter, but with no real emphasis on what it meant. We never had an altar call. When I was saved at a Youth for Christ rally in my mid teens, the first person I wanted to share my good news with was the pastor of my church. Know what he said to me? ''Well, isnt that nice.'' Nothin more. No offer to disciple me or to help me learn more about Jesus. This caused a lot of confusion to me ... I didnt understand, and I still dont understand ... how is a person ''called by God into ministry'' ... if he doesnt first have the Spirit of the Lord living in him enough to rejoice with a converted sinner? Oh, by the way... that lesbian minister has won her appeal and will not be defrocked.

For a while it looked like the Cross was going to cost me my marriage. But I held on to God's promise in 1 Peter 3:1&7 and I still do. A recent setback to my husband's health has brought him toward the Light. He made me a promise while he was sick, that ''If I ever get out of here (the hospital), I will go to church with you''. After praying over this, I decided not to hold him to it, since he made it in a moment of weakness, and that if he sincerely wanted to go to church, I wouldnt have to remind him or mention it at all. God is wonderful!! Week before last, my husband was trying on clothes that used to be too big for him, but that he can wear now because of a dramatic weight loss, and he came out with slacks and a sport jacket on ... I said ''Wow... you look good enough to go to church!'' ... He said ''I wondered when that would come up'' .... it was a very light and pleasant exchange, and nothing more was said. But that Sunday following, we were having breakfast and enjoying the morning... he said ''So, what time does this church of your start, anyway?'' .... And he went with me!!! The Lord is working in him and I ask you all to pray with me that my husbands heart will become less and less hardened until at last he becomes saved. Dear friends, do not become discouraged when it seems that the people you love are rejecting you because of what you believe. You never know when they will have a life crisis in which you may minister to them. Even if you arent actually staying in touch with some of these people, do keep up with what is happening with them. A phone call, personal visit or a card '' I know things are difficult right now, I would like to pray for you'' ... to let them know that you care. In family situations, in the workplace, in social settings let the light of the Lord shine through to these people ... not a spotlight that produces blinding glare and harsh shadows, but a gentle glow that will attract them to you. I know that 1 Peter 3:1&7 was written specifically to wives, but the application is appropriate to all situations where a believer wishes to display God's grace "In the same way you wives (you believers) be submissive to your own husbands (others), so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word, by the behavior of their wives (friends). ''

Headline in the Albuquerque Journal " Buffalo to Pay Roaming Charges'' Well, of course it was meant to catch attention, since the story said that the owner is not going to be fined. I dont have any problem with him sending them to the butcher, since that is what they were bred for in the first place, but he should have known that the remark would certainly bring some negative responses. Or maybe he is hoping some benevolent group will offer to pay him whatever they are worth on the hoof to save them from the slaughterhouse?

I remember when I went to school (YES, I do still remember), teachers had carte blanche when it came to corporal punishment. So did the bus drivers. And the cafeteria workers. Most of them used discretion when meting out discipline. But we had one teacher who delighted in adminstering the paddle and never passed up an opportunity, even though alternatives were encouraged by the school's governing body. He was sadistic and cruel. I think of him whenever people begin to talk about bringing back the good old days. While I do agree that the situation is way out of hand now, I dont believe restoring ''paddle rights'' to the teachers is the magical answer either. As I tried to indicate in my previous post, in the case of this little girl, we dont know what might have precipitated her tantrum. I dont think shackles was the right thing to do... perhaps drenching her with cold water would have been more effective than adding fear and pain to her already irrational behavior? Probably the whole country is speculating on this the same way we are here. Let's pray that something positive will result from the situation ... some sort of reasonable protocal for future events of this type... where the teachers and/or school principal can have the authority to act within reasonable guidelines when a child's behavior becomes so irrational that s/he is totally out of control. There must be a way to prevent harm to the child involved as well as preventing the child from harming others?

The child apparently has serious anger issues. Was this a one-time event, or has she been a behavior problem before? Whatever it is, they should definately try to help her before it gets worse. (Help, in my opinion, should include parenting classes... not every grown person knows how to deal with children, and especially when the child is so frustrated that the only way she can express herself is through anger and violence). While the child needs to be held responsible for her bad behavior, a reasonable effort needs to be made to discover the reason(s) why she is acting out. Could be any number of things ... she might feel neglected (is there a new sibling now that is taking up mom's time?) ...are her parents going through a divorce or separation? ... has one of the parents begun dating/ or recently remarried? ... she might be experiencing abuse of some kind ... perhaps an older sibling is getting attention she thinks belongs to her... or she might be getting blamed for things she didnt do ... Perhaps a number of recent events have all come together and overwhelmed her ability to cope... Whatever it is, she needs to know that there are better and more acceptable ways to express herself, and that there are also consequences for behaving badly. I hope there are some understanding adults who can intervene on her behalf.