Teach

Right on Brother Isn't it good to know that your relationship with Him is TRULY sincere and not contrived?

I do not know what you're driving at. When is the time that God creates a human being? Do I know for sure? Probably not. Is it a the time of the Zygote or the first breath or anywhere in between or maybe when we come into His mind, which some would say, we were always on His mind? Which is absolute bunk. The fact remains that if God decided to create some to Glory and some to Hell makes Him cruel and stupid at the same time. And I'm not afraid to use those terms because God knows very well my reverence for Him and that I do not believe in that drivel. Cruel because He creates some for the sake of damnation, no will involved. Stupid because He could have avoided the whole Calvary thing by just creating beings (Automatons) for Glory. Anyway, I put in my vote in and like I agree totally. Ciao 4 now!

I've just begun to read this and I must say your post is quite disconcerting. I find it hard to believe that some people actually think that A Good God would bring an infant into this world, giving it the breath of life, knowing it in the womb, and then because of a still birth or early SIDS, will send that child into eternal damnation. Isn't sin transgression of the Law? 1Jo. (3:4) Isn't the power of sin in the Law? 1Cor. (15:56) What purpose was there in creating that child and then sending it to the fires of Hell? How do you think God would explain that righteousness judgment on that child? I don't know, all I can say is WOW!

Hi Dave, Yes God is the source of all good, he is the source of all. Is evil the absence of good? I don't think so exactly. Contrary to the article, evil is a created thing. God does indeed setup and cause evil circumstances to use for good purposes. He raised up Pharaoh for his purposes. Legoman You misinterpret "Isaiah 45:7 ... I make peace, and create evil " The NIV says "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. The NIV is a version I don't even like but as you can see many scholars interpret "RA" in a different way. Nevertheless "RA" can not always be translated as "Evil" for the sake of supporting your understanding of the concept of evil. This verse contrasts light with darknes (which are opposite) and in keeping with the thought should also translated Peace with its opposite which would be Calamity, Chaos, Unrest, Turmoil. Many of the verses you quote need to be translated in the same way. God does not create evil or raise evil or generate evil. EVIL was already in this world because of the constant wrong choices and wrong doings of man and God uses this to exact Judgement on sin and disobedience or to discipline towards righteousness. To say that God creates and forms evil for the purpose of good is in direct contradiction of His own direction and will as evidenced in Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID .... When a parent disciplines a child, is that evil? When a judge puts you in jail, for your evil, is that evil? When there was no Creation, no Angels, No man are you saying that out of God flowed a fountain of Good & Evil? Where was evil when nothing was but God? The Tree in the Garden was not a Tree of Good and Evil it was a Tree of the KNOWLEDGE of Good and Evil. Had man not sinned, he would have never known about Good or Evil. Man would have only known God as God and He would have revealed Himself as Himself, which we know NOW is good but but without sin would just the norm, GOD. Adam did not know about concept Good or Evil no more than he knew about the concept of death. All Adam knew the great and wonderful happiness of experiencing relationship with God day after day after day. And it could have gone on like that for eternity either as a robot or with choice and a warning. His rebellious choice introduced evil into the physical and human realm. Evil had already been introduced by Satan in the Spiritual realm. If there ever was something impossible to God it is to create evil. Makes no sense whatsoever. Anyway, Dave, thank you for those great posts. Although I disagree somewhat on this Statement: "God did decree to use evil as a part of his eternal plan, okay? But I won't get into that for fear that Nebula would relegate me to the hijacking quasars of space. Blessings

'good' comes from God! But of course that should be obvious as all is from God Cheers, Legoman Define all? Does all include evil? Some believe that, but I don't and vehemently object. Blessings

I for one believe that God is interested with every aspect of our lives. He cares about everything. Just because we do not take the time to ask Him about trivial things does not mean He doesn't care. He counts every hair on our head, He clothes the Lily of the field, He cares for the swallow and we are much more precious to Him. Blue or brown sweater? Who knows, except God? Maybe the Blue sweater, even though from the same brand, was made with a slightly better wool and the dye will not fade as bad as the brown. It will give you better enjoyment and down the road when you recycle it to the Goodwill, which is something that you're not thinking of now, it will hold out longer for that homeless widow whom God is also very interested in. God also gives us common sense which is Widom built on the knowledge we aquire. This knowledge should come from Him and His Word. This would make that knowledge righteous, holy, upright, etc. which in turn would fuel common sense decision the same way. Intimacy with God should bring us to want to know everything about Him and to share everything about us, even if He knows it all to begin with. BTW just so that you don't that I'm on a pedestal here. I very often fail to seek His thoughts or will or desires in trivial things. But that is to my shame. God Bless

Sorry, but you need to get this straight. There is no such thing as the Gift of Discernment it is the "Gift of Discerning of Spirits". This gift is not something that is given permanently to an individual it is meted out according to the need of the time at the will of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless if we are open the Spirit He may use us several times in this same Gift. The only Gifts that are permanent and reside in you are the Gifts in Romans 12. These are creational Gifts from the Father and have been given to all including non Christians. As the Father is no respector of persons and will not give one an advantage over another. Merry Christmas.

What an interesting subject that usually draws much heated arguments than is posted this time. The reason for the above is because we have a tendency to mix 2 totally different subject matters surrounding the Husband/Wife relationship. A) We have the partnership of the Husband and Wife as they progress in God's kingdom. and B) The Marriage relationship as the same two progress in God's kingdom. A) On the first part the two are equal in standing before God, equal in their salvation and sanctification, equal in their required obedience to Him, loving each other, serving each other and submitted to each other as the the Lord. This dynamic is no different than our relationship with any other member of the body. We are all equal in His eyes and can be all used in any which way He sees fit. B) However within the context of the Marriage relationship the scriptures are clear as how that relatonship is establish. Paul in Ephesians clearly likens it to the relationship of Christ and the Church. Can it be more obvious? Christ is the head and the church does have to submit. My question to you, the reader, if you fully comprehend the Love, Compassion, Goodness, Desire that Christ has for you, as a member of the Body (Church) is it difficult to submit? I find it a relief. I don't need to worry about the future what the future holds because as I trust Him I know everything will work together for good and that Christ will always seek what is best for me. And so the husband should be as trusworthy, loving, kind in his relationship with his wife. So much so that it will become a pleasure and a trusting relief for the wife to submit to his guidance and authority. You ask which is the most difficult between the two? It is the role of the husband. He is called , in Ephesians, no less than four (4) times to love his wife. (Compared to 1 time for wives to submit). Not only is he called to love but to od so as Christ loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT. Husbands we are called to die for our wives. And I don't mean to lunge in front of them and take the bullet I mean to die to yourself. In other words it's not about you, it's about her. At least this is what the Lord showed me. Daily I put aside my wants and needs and desires to serve my wife. And she, having come form a 20 yr severe physical, mental and spiritual abusive relationship, dominated at every moment, finds it easy and comfortable to submit. But what is she submitting to? I give her my all every day. She submits to my authority. To my headship. Authority is not domination. It is leadership and leadership requires love, role modeling, inspiration. Leadership is also weighted with responsibility. Take for instance when a relationship sours. It is like a precious and prize collectors coin that Satan grabs and throws into the street. It gets all dirty and ugly. Each partner is 100% responsible to clean up its side of the coin but it is the ultimate responsibility of the husband to pick up that coin and put it back where it belongs. He is the one require to take initiative in the repair of the marriage while both are responsible in the repair of themselves. In matters of decision making, when there is no more time for discussion, it is the responsability of the husband to make the call whether he dicides to excercise his own opinion or that of his wife. Nevertheless he alone will be responsible for the for the outcome. If he chooses to go by his wifes counsel or opinions and something wrong happens. He will be the one to ask forgiveness for his error in judgement and he alone will also answer to God concerning it. Authority is a very prevalent thing in srcipture. it is found in every area of life because that is how God operates. He is a King, not a democratically elected ruler. He is the Ruler over all and appoints rulers in every aspect of life, whether Govermental, Municipal, Parental, Spousal etc. Do not be deceived. To disrespect, call down, make fun, murmur against these authorities are an afront to God and will bring judgement on the individual. ROM 13 Miriam, the older sister to Moses, learnt the hard way what it was to rebel against his God given authority. Authority is even seen in the Spiritual world. (Principalities, Dominions, Authorities, Rulers and Spiritual forces in high places) Merry Christmas to all.

Don't ask me why but I was just thinking about this Apostle situation in terms of Hockey. The NHL is a League with 30 teams however only 6 of those 30 have the distinct honor of being the forerunners (or foreskaters) of the league and that's the "Original Six". Montreal Canadians, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although there are 30 Official NHL teams only 6 have the dinstinction of being part of the "Original Six". But does that make the other teams non-NHL teams. Not in the least. They are in the LEague and hold that NHL Official status. As has been said "Apostle means "Sent one". There have been many who have been sent out to the virgin territories of this earth to introduce, bridge, establish, proclaim, and convert for the Gospel. Many have lost their lives over the Gospel. Is their matyrdom any less than the original 12? If you want to call the original 12 "Apostles" and the others "Sent ones" or missionaries, I say fine. Have at it. Just keep in mind that the Scriptures use the same greek word for both. And I don't think Paul used the term loosely. He did write under the influence of the Holy Spirit. There were many good christians in Paul's days who he did not characterize as Apostles. Anyways that's my 2 cents worth. God Bless.

I was going to say the same thing but you have stated it quite well. I do however agree that the original 12 apostles (12 - 1 Judas + 1 Paul) as stated in Mat. (9:28), will still have an important role to play whether in judging the 12 Tribes of Israel or in the foundations of the new City, however because these 12 have been singled out for these purposes does not mean that the Gift of the Apostle, the calling or administration as such becomes obsolete as per Eph. 4 and 1 Cor. (12: 5) "There are differences of administrations but the same Lord (Jesus). All five of Offices are important for the perfecting of the Saints.

I agree. The definition of an Apostle is not found in scripture, as far as I know. Some have contended that an Apostle is one that has witnessed the resurection of Christ. Yet nowhere in scripture does it say that Paul was around to witness on that third day. In light of this scholars have surmised that Paul's vision on the road to Damascus was the witness needed to declare himself an Apostle. I think that is stretching the assumption in order to accomodate Paul's ministry. I believe that Apostle is synonimous to Missionary, that later word not being used back then. The Five fold Ministry Gifts of Eph. 4 are Gifts that are given to the Church or the Body for the edification (Building up, Discipling) of the Saints. The Church is in great need of these Gifts I think more today than ever. They are actually position of Leadership within the body designed and assigned for edification. They are actually callings that Jesus places on individuals inviting them to enter their ministry and partner with Him for such a cause. This no lessens the calling with have as the redeemed to go into the world and make disciples of every nation, (The Great Commission). However these 5 Gifts of Leadership carry much weight and responsability with them. Ex. The Teacher will be judged more strickly for his ministry. Ja. (3:1) Cheers

i already know that the office of apostle ceased with te death of the original 12 apostles. Hi Friar: Could please tell where you get your scriptural reference for such a statement?

Just to add and maybe clarify the already excellent comments. There are actually two instances where Moses was faced with the grumblings of the people and their desire to quench their thirst. The first instance was at the Rock of Horeb where Moses was instructed to use

Moses being a type of Christ, this picture of coming down the mount with the 2 tablets could signify or depict Jesus coming to His people with the fullness of the law. In the one hand the Old testament and in the other the New Teastament. Whether this has any validity or not is entirely speculative, hence the word "could".

I believe the perfection that is attributed by God to man is a perfection of character. God is not a respector of persons but He is a respector of charactor. When we daily walk with Him, He will continually visit our character and shortcomings and desire for us to change and remedy these things. It is our obedience in these areas, that He wishes us to conquer or change or even hone, that eventually makes Him declare us to be perfect in His eyes. It just means that we are obedient in every way.

I've gone from a very well to do Pentecostal church to a Downtown (Feed the homeless, help the addicts and ladies of the night) Sally Anne Church. Both have people who think no matter what they do God will forgive them and save them in the end. And the worst about that is they don't even mentioned repentance in the process. God wants a relationship with those who love Him. If you get saved to escape the burning fires and then ignore Him and continue in your sin, Is thatLove for God? Some are evry sincere in their walk with forsaking many things for Him and applying themselves dilligently to the Great Commission. Yet when it comes to that ONE thing that God is asking them to obey they choose to ignore. Will that entail: "Depart from me I never knew you"?

This topic would normally be an offshoot of whether we have Free Will or not. And since I believe we have free will then I do not believe in eternal Security. I think it is a lie of the Devil, as it lulls Christians into complacency and takes away accountability. When Jesus performed His first miracle (Water into Wine) He was announcing to the world that that was His whole purpose which was to change the lives of individuals (Water pots, Vessels, 6 at that, the number of man created on the 6th day) by miraculously changing the water (John 3) into the Wine of the Spirit. Later on He also stated that you can not put New wine into old wineskins. The old man has to be renewed or else the Wineskin breaks the Wine is spilt and the Wineskin perishes. Where normally the contents of a container are usually more precious than the container itself and if broken it is the content that is lost not as much as the container. i.e.: A bottle of milk, perfume. In this case it is the wineskin that is lost or perishes which represents us. And the word perish here is the same as in John(3:16) We must offer ourselves daily in sacrifice to God and keep that old man into subjection which is what I believe Paul was saying about keeping the faith. Somehow,

This is not a "saving" issue. This is a doctrinal issue. The only "garbage" being spoken around here is the kool-aid you are pushing. But hey, don't waste your time on me. I am so hurt! Repentance is not a saving issue???

I just have one question. If God knows all, the beginning from the end, can He change His mind?

I must disagree on this statement. Holiness is not a gauge or a catalyst for the gifts. Although Holiness is a very important part of the Christian walk, as we are told to be Holy as our Father in heaven is Holy, it cannot be used as a measuring stick. I have no doubt that Billy Graham walks in Holiness yet, as a Baptist, he does not believe in the Gifts for today and doesn't exibit any If we are talking about Corinthians 12. He does have the Gift (Calling) of an Evamngelist and does posess the 7 Gifts of Romans 12 but then so does evrybody else. We have also seen many a preacher exhibit differs kinds of gifts but when out of the public limelight they have been known to have sinful behaviours which in later life has been brought to exposure. Holiness is a product of an obedient life at every turn. Have a great day! Psalm (1:1-3)

Welcome to Worthy! Thanks for your honesty. I know what you're going through because I've been there and done that. I've also repented and since kept myself from it. Forginess is a wondrful thing, isn't it? But unless we can forgive ourselves, the Devil will have a field with condemnation. And that is what I suspect you are feeling a good dose of condemnation from the enemy and a great deal of dispointment in yourself. When you turn to God in sincerety of heart ask him for forgiveness, the Bible says that as our mediator He is faithful to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is a promise but when we believe His Word and apply, it becomes FACT. You need to rest in the assurance that God does not lie and that He does forgive you when you ask. If you base everything on feelings you'll be like a yo-yo. Be careful because Satan will try to tear down your confidence, he'll say: "So much for your Christianity", "Might as well give", "And you say you're a Christian", "Big deal, what's one video". Go to war against these lies and fight the good fight. Next time when faced with a video instead of running it, Right-Click and Delete it. I do not think that a one time deal makes you addicted to Porno but habitual sin will certainly invite bondage in your life and if you think youfeel miserable now, you ain't seen nothing yet. You know the hardest thing to do is to keep our integrity when no one is around. But really that is not the case, God is always around. God Bless.