Resting in Christ

Does Matthew 16:19 include the imputed power to forgive sin(s)? Is there any evidence in the Bible that Christians can forgive sins? Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Very interesting artilce. Has anyone responded to Rufus' questions?

Before the return of Jesus, we will see many more false teachings. It's sad, though. Especially to read that John Wimber is implicated among these, (even though I've heard it before) as I found his 'Songs of the Vineyard' series of tapes very moving, and bought the whole lot quite a number of years ago. Perhaps he produced them before he went 'off the deep end'....so to speak.......does anybody know? What's so sad? Who is PetriFB? What is it the makes John Wimber and C. Peter Wagner so bad?

I thought about what Paul was relating about God. Paul was saying that God doesn't cause our pain and trouble but God comforts us so that we can comfort others who have been were we are. I have been horribly abused (emotionally, physically, sexually) and very deeply hurt by church but if someone comes to me who has been hurt like I have, I can understand what they are going through. If someone came to me and said, I understand, but they have not been in my shoes, I might wonder, "How would you know anything about how a feel?" But, later this week, something hit me. I was asking God how he comforts us because the aforementioned verse says God comforts us in all our troubles. We go to God and God comforts us but the missing link was Jesus. I had always talked with God as the Source but didn't understand that Jesus was the path to God. I can go to Jesus who feels everything and knows my hurts better than anyone, including my husband. I thought if Jesus is praying and thinking about me then that's the biggest comfort ever. For someone who used to believe with all of my heart that God hated me, to discover that he thinks about me (and everyone else, good thoughts) just really made a difference.

Thank God you believe in God! Without fear of Him to keep you in line it sounds as if you would run amok and threaten the safety of a good many good people. Have you read my testimony? You will see what type of person I was. Even when I knew Him but kept Him on the shelf. Sorry if I affronted you. I do have a friend who before I knew him was into drugs rather heavily. He had an experience, whether drug induced or not, I don't know, but it turned him around and in his mind Jesus had made this happen. So I know that people do have religious experiences that sometimes bring them through some rather bad times. But, I also know people who are gentle and considerate, who would never deliberately harm anyone and who go out of their way to be helpful, but who don't believe in God. They are atheists. My point is not believing in God does not drive people to do the things that you and my friend did before your conversions. Both of you believed in God, but this never stopped either of you from taking part in activities that you both later regretted. The message is that one can be moral without God. That really was my only point. Hi Cycel, I don't want the title "Christian Cynic", but my experience of people has been that the non-believing "gentle", "considerate", "helpful', 'moral" folks are either trying to get approval or are trying to impress others and/or themselves with their morality. My point is that "morality" without Christ seems rather hollow to me. I actually like a lot of these nice moral people, but I still feel a deep sorrow for them.

83 for me

Great!

Great! Keep on worshipping the King!

there is hard evidence that matter pops into and out of existence all the time Interesting, I'll take the bag full of 100's...

Spanking does less physical harm than a insect bite.

When last seen in the flesh, Christ judged us by willingly humbling himself on the cross. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

We were/are made to seek and humbly accept His will. His grace is amazing: it allows for so many mistakes. Sometimes I wonder how much choice we really do have (after our DNA, parenting and other spiritual and environmental factors are accounted for), yet He does at least allow us some insight to who He is, and what we are, and that's amazing enough for me.

Is Salvation a condition of our Spirit or our Soul?

Welcome, and thanks for your post!

People get ready.

Have you done it?

Problems!

Absurd, maybe so; but show me the money!

it seems a poorly thought out plan. the definition of abortion is too broad and will just cause problems. I think that even pro-life people should be against this plan. Restricting access to birth control pills will just add to the number of abortions. Interesting.

Must we choose one to the exclusion of the other? that would be impossible. There is no "spirit" of a law that has not been written What are you meaning? Do you mean that every law has been written and that all we need is our intelligence - to memorize the written laws and discern how they apply to our particular circumstances?

The 'spirit' of the law. IMO: To keep the 'letter' of the law is easier than the 'spirit' of the law. For the 'letter' is visible and plainly seen, the 'spirit' is inward and goes beyond and much deeper. On our own strength we can not keep either the spirit or the letter of the law. Both the spirit and letter of the law are gifts, but one is external to us and the other alive in us.

Wow.. Another opinion based on what? What knowledge can you bring to this discussion? And if you know anything about Jewish history, they did not accept Christ as their Savior, nor do they today, yes, some have been converted to Christianity, but the majority of the Jews deny Christ as their Messiah, that is simple Biblical knowledge.. Thus this is why there will be a Great Tribulation period in the land of Israel. How long have you been studding prophecy? Not long enough we can see You have not studied Daniel have you? You might have read it. But forgot to study it. There will be a third temple built and animal sacrifice will be a implemented. Dan 8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Dan 8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary (temple) and the host to be trodden under foot? Dan 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary (temple) of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. What is this abomination of desolation? The phrase abomination of desolation refers to Matthew 24:15: So when you see standing in the holy place (the third temple) 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand. This Scripture is referring to Daniel 9:27, He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. You want to know a little history? Alright here is some history.. In 167 B.C., a Greek ruler by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes set up an altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offerings in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He also sacrificed a pig on the altar in the temple in Jerusalem. This event is known as the abomination of desolation. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus was speaking some 200 years after the abomination of desolation described above had occurred. So, Jesus must have been prophesying that some time in the future another abomination of desolation would occur in a Jewish temple in Jerusalem. As I stated before, give a man enough time and they dig themselves into a hole. I see your Biblical knowledge needs improvement before you try to rebuttal my position. I'll run circles around you.. You know very little about prophecy and I see why it's not that important to you.. ...none of which answers the question, what is the objective contextual point of control for supposing that Daniel (or any other prophet, for that matter) is speaking of matters that will not be fulfilled for millenia, instead of decades? There is no basis for that supposition and you are still arguing retroactively. All of which serves to illustrate and answer the OP's question as to why we're divided on eschatology; speaking for myself, I refuse to accept fuzzy, illogical thinking as a valid technique for defining doctrine. Agreed.. It's only fuzzy to you and your position. I, like you, also dislike fuzzy, illogical, barnyard, backdoor, harebrained, imbecilic, uninformed, asinine, nonsensical, obtuse thinking to prophecy (and any other words you would like to add to it). Now you think Daniel will be fulfilled during the millennia, LOL.. My on My.. You have A LOT of studding to do before you come here and expect anyone who studies prophecy to accept your view. Plain and Simple WOW !

From 1 Corinthians 13:2: "...and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." From James 2:17: "...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Faith, if it exists at all, is creative, active, it does something (work). Faith in Christ produces justification, Galatians 2:16: "... that we might be justified by faith in Christ..." ; faith in science produces the technology that defines our culture. But science itself is observation of CREATION, God's CREATION.