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  1. What is sin? Please no commentary no opinion straight up clear verses from Gods Words. Let's listen to God's word not peoples opinions.
  2. I have been beside myself for weeks! Im just gonna get straight to the point. When I was young around 13 I saw porn for the first time by accidentally stumbling upon a site I miss spelled (in all honesty). And the porn I saw was gay porn. I watched bits of it and sadly got facinated and even more sadly attracted to it even tho I still was attracted to girls. I had a horrible habit of it throughout the year but never did it with anyone bc I knew it was wrong anyway. But half way through last year I accepted christ as Lord through a youth retreat. Past then ive felt alot of guilt for my actions and continued on with my habit the follow weeks. It was just recent were ive been so down on myself for these acts and I broke out crying to the Lord asking for forgiveness and how poor of a representation I was. Its so hard to be a light for God kingdom when you are commiting sins like these wether its any sin (all sin is same in Gods eyes, except blasphemy of the holy spirit). But more recently I watched it again but wasnt gay porn. Im embarrassed to talk about this but really want answers to my questions especially from a place where multiple christians can answer. My questions are am I saved? Ive heard so much to God loves gays (he doesnt like the gay part) to u are going straight to hell if youve ever felt that way towards same gender. I want to be at rest with this bc the thought of being seperated from God scares me. And second How can I tell im saved if I am? I know its through the holy spirit and I hear him getting at me to pray and to ask for forgivness and tells me to do things like help others or points out certain people that I need to be nice to or pray for them. Its just im so so so scared of wondering if im saved or not based on all my horrible actions. Ik I have the holy spirit within me I am just worried and scared. I need %100 confirmation of these things. I want to be at rest and tired of battling myself. Plz help and pray for me. God bless you.
  3. I am a sinner. They are not grave sins but nonetheless insults to the Lord, especially since I commit them willingly. I even tend to rationalize them. It makes me highly uncertain about the pureness and prospect of my soul. So I don't deserve to be this Happy Felix I keep calling myself here. I confessed those sins to a priest and even he thought it was not so bad for me, and he saw logic in the process of committing them. I pray for wisdom, strength, and - it can't hurt - a lot of mercy.
  4. Daily Reading 22 If you prefer, you can look up the following verses in your own Bible, of by whatever means and in whatever version you choose. Luke 17 Genesis 29:1-30 Psalm 22 Audio 4:22 Audio 4:45 Audio 3:48 The above addresses are linked to Bible Gateway. That is an easy way to read (or listen to) the Bible verses, and choose your version. Personally, I prefer written, that way I can go at my own pace, on think about it, before moving on. Nothing wrong with doing either or both. The Bible says faith comes by hearing. See the picture below to get an idea of what to expect if you follow the above links. Thank you Lord for making the your word so accessible for us in these times. Amen
  5. RE: "Worthy Christians" Christians are ONLY worthy of eternal life because of what Christ has done for them, ALL humans including Christians deserve to be right now thrown into the eternal lake of fire.
  6. Let me preface this question with the fact that I'm a believer, 100%. I'm just trying to figure out the details. I understand that Jesus Christ conquered death which is the penalty for sin. My question is, how is that transferable to me and my sin and you and your sin? And if he died for everyone's sin once and for all: why is it necessary to believe? If a debt it paid, is paid...right?
  7. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Do you believe that this verse teaches that redemption means no more sin? How do you interpret this verse?
  8. I was asked by a friend about the Book of Enoch that I was recently reading. I acquired it several months ago but have never taken the time to read the book. Having recently decided to pursue its contents, I find it requires my full concentration. Waiting for this friend to get out of his medical appointment, I had a few minutes to spare, and so I began rereading pages of the book I had already read. This time I had determined to make notes as I went because I wanted to build some word pictures in my head (it's how I learn best.) Waiting for some paperwork from the front desk, we still had a couple of minutes and so I started talking to him about what I had learned so far. I mentioned that the Book of Enoch had been an integral part of the early Church, and had been read aloud among the body for 700 years. (Consider that the early church would have had little in the way of documentation aside from expensive, hand-copied scrolls of the Talmud and Tanach. So, if they were to have a copy of Enoch's rare and prophetic book, then, yes, someone would have read it aloud.) It is said that Early Church fathers, such as Clement, Barnabas, and Irenaeus referenced and quoted from the Book of Enoch. Th D. JR Church made this statement in the book he published, “Enoch, The First Book Ever Written.” The late JR Church did a running commentary on it as he explains and defines what Enoch said. I have come to realize that verifiable evidence is not enough to convince some people of the necessity nor the authenticity of information that gives us more insight into Biblical events that are otherwise perpetually obscured. I am a strong believer that the answers are there, in scripture, and, if not they might be obtained through some other source, like the Book of Enoch. Keep this in mind as you read. Jude, the author of his own book, quotes a prophecy from Enoch that is not in our Bibles and can only be found in the Book of Enoch. The writer of Hebrews places Enoch in the hall of fame for his great faith, by which he walked off this earth and into God's arms, never to see death (Hebrews 11:5). And we find the name of Enoch in Luke 3:37, where he is listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ. I can't remember how we got there, but my friend said, then what do you do with Genesis 6:7 where God said, I am sorry that I made man? Perhaps I had attempted to point out how the fallen angels had, as Jude tells us, cohabited with the daughters of men, with the express purpose of circumventing God's plan of redemption. How can I make that statement? You have to go back to the garden where God is addressing Eve about her actions. She is cursed, but there is some good news, as one from her seed will bring about the redemption of the world. (Okay, I did not use the exact wording, but you should get a general idea.) Genesis 3:13-15 NASB Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14) The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." Satan's evil plan almost worked prior to the flood. Consider what was happening at this time. God, seeing that the earth was FILLED with violence and that the thoughts of “men” were only evil. The fallen angels, by taking whomever they wanted among women, had filled the earth with hybrids. The International Standard Bible says it best. Genesis 6:4 ISV The Nephilim were on the earth at that time (and also immediately afterward), when those divine beings were having sexual relations with those human women, who gave birth to children for them. These children became the heroes and legendary figures of ancient times. These titans became the foundations of mythology. Question, does the word all indeed mean all? No, because there was at that time a handful; specifically the close lineage that produced Noah. This family line was, as yet, untouched by the genetic corruption that these fallen angels were introducing. So far I haven't focused on any passages that touch on the word all, but the question was asked, “didn't God say that he was sorry he created man on the earth?” Doesn't that phrase imply that God was offended by all, including Noah? There is nothing about this question or the verse, that paints a correct picture of God or His character. If He was disgusted with all, then why waste any time communing with Enoch. The disjointed logic we use when we focus on one verse out of context makes no sense and is incorrect. So let's rethink the generalized question, wasn't God sorry He created man. Genesis 6:6-7 NASB The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7) The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." While it is true that the Bible translations range from sorry to regret, and grieved; but remember, God, put the man on earth so that He could share His life with and talk to the man. [Right here is where the understanding that God was not caught off guard by Satan's/Lucifer's actions, and the plan of salvation – that is the securing of the creation, including God's finest creation, man, was initiated. All of our confusion and misunderstandings stem from how we perceive these first few moments of time. God knew full well what would happen and adapted to the perverted twists. The day will come when our relationship with the Father will once again be restored to the condition it was prior to Adam's fall in the garden.] When you understand God's nature and character, the emotion of being sorry doesn't seem to accurately convey His heart toward men like Enoch, Methuselah or Noah, and they should be excluded from such a generalized statement. Therefore, it must mean something more specific. To merely quote this verse is to ignore the context in which it is said. The context begins in verse two, where fallen angels are taking human women, having intercourse with them, and filling the earth with their own version of hybrids. Not only that, but these hybrids are not just tall, they are massive, and they are violent hunters of humankind. Genesis 6:2-5 CJB the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3) Adonai said, "My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore their lifespan is to be 120 years." 4) The N'filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown. 5) Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. The attention grabber in this paragraph above is verse 5, where it says, “Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only.” Evidently, the Satanic scheme to hijack the redemption of the earth was so efficient that it had reduced the unpolluted lineage from Adam to the close relatives of Noah. Now, if the earth had been infiltrated to the point there were only a handful of undamaged humans left, wouldn't God be justifiably disgusted to the point where he was not only willing but needed to remove this malignancy from the earth? Genesis 6:6-7 NASB The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7) The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." Sorry, the word used in the NASB is the Hebrew word nâcham and means to sigh that is, breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry. For me, an implication is not a translation, nor is it definitive. It is, however, something that may explain or add clarity. The words sigh and breathe strongly are words that I can understand, as I do it frequently. I sigh when I am angry, frustrated, and have enough. In this case, God had enough. The phrase “he had made,” is the Hebrew word ‛āśāh: A verb meaning to do, to make, to accomplish, to complete. This frequently used Hebrew verb conveys the central notion of performing an activity with a distinct purpose, a moral obligation, or a goal in view (cf. Gen_11:6). I could just as comfortably read Genesis 6:6 as The Lord was extremely frustrated that His good intentions had come to this. Isaiah tells the reader that the earth was habitable in the day that it was formed, and yet, something transpired because there was most certainly some imperfection taking place. Isaiah 45:18 NASB For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else. Likewise, man was perfect on the day he was made as well. Genesis 1:27-31 NASB God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28) God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29) Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30) and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so. 31) God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. What is there about this paragraph above for God to be disgusted with? Nothing. How about here in Genesis 2:7-9? Genesis 2:7-9 NASB Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. 8) The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9) Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Still good. But things are about to change. I am cutting it short for space sake. Genesis 3:7-10 NASB Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. 8) They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9) Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10) He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." Eve was deceived, but Adam was wide awake and chose to trash his relationship with God. The passage also demonstrates an event that may have happened on a daily basis, God communing with the man and his wife. The tragedy here is that the connectedness and ease of communication with God were now broken. I pointed out earlier, how in talking with the serpent, God said, “I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Not too long after this, is when Satan's plan to stop this seed, gets put into action. Ask yourself a question. Through intercourse and a maintained level of violence, how long would it take you to redirect the global order of things? Now, consider the added benefit these hybrids had in their completion of Satan's ugly plan. Can you now see why the history of man on earth, has been riddled with holocausts?
  9. Several weeks ago the Monday morning study leader announced that the following week we would be starting a study on vengeance. To show that the carnal side of me still exists, I wrote this on my notepad, Coming up next week, Vengeance!, Yeah baby! I was messing around, as the first reaction I had, was to moan because every study is a fitful barrage of legalism. When that particular “study” ended, I turned to my friend and said, that wasn't all bad. The leader was giving an introduction, but he had already lost me, as I was looking up passages on vengeance. The first thing I came to was a passage in Leviticus. Leviticus 19:18 ISV "You are not to seek vengeance or hold a grudge against the descendants of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." The first thing I realized is that this is “the law,” and we, are not under the law; or, are we? If we are not under the law, then what do I do with this statement from the Apostle Paul? Romans 12:16-19 ISV Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are. 17) Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. 18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people. 19) Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord." Wait a minute, Paul, the reformed Pharisee, and one of the most prominent advocates of grace; tells his audience of Jewish converts, and us, do not put yourself back under the bondage of the law. And yet, here it is. Nahum 1:2-3 AMPC The Lord is a jealous God and avenging; the Lord avenges, and He is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies. [Exodus 20:5] 3) The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. [Exodus 34:6-7] There are many scriptural illustrations that Paul could have pulled from, but Nahum conveys the idea of vengeance well. If Paul could be comfortable drawing examples from the “law” while speaking of those same laws as a return to bondage, then your spirit should be telling you that there is something more involved in this idea of bondage than mere constraints put on us by God. The “laws,” such as, love your neighbor as yourselves, are, at the very least, a better way of living; And, they are the very thing that keeps us out of God's way, as we focus on the positive rather than our hidden agenda of supplanting God by dishing out vengeance and judgment. So then, even the New Testament conveys constraints that parallel the law. I have mentioned, many times, how we live under the perfect law of liberty. James 2:10-12 NASB For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11) For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12) So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. James is also the one who tells us that we are blessed when we walk in this law. James 1:25 NASB But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. We then, do not have the freedom to seek vengeance, nor are we entirely free from the God's law. As the morning's study progressed a brash statement was made, when we get to heaven, you will not find a Pharisee there as they will all be in hell. A quick inventory in my head put me in remembrance of Nicodemus, Simon of Arimathea, and the Apostle Paul, all of which, were prominent Pharisees who displayed a love of Jesus Christ. Several minutes passed and I raised my hand. When the leader finally acknowledged me, I said, as a recovering Pharisee who struggles with judgment I want to share a story with you. At this point, I told them about a stepson who had inappropriately taken one of my handguns into the backyard to show a friend of his. You need to understand that there had been a series of events that ended with a stolen bicycle, and this young man in my backyard had played a role in that. I that moment, with them fondling my revolver, I merely held out a hand, and my stepson placed the gun in my hand. I simply said, had you asked me I would have taken you to the range and taught you how to respect the weapon and shoot it, but since you chose to go behind my back you have lost that opportunity. I began that day to pray that God would remove bad influences from my stepson's life. Two weeks later, the other boy shot himself in the head while playing Russian roulette. The important thing was I merely asked God to intervene, but I did not try to tell Him what to do about it. I remind you of Romans 12:19 which says, 19) Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord." I don't know how I did it because I was angry in the days that preceded that young mans death. I was the one who walked my son into the police station and made him “return” this obviously stolen bicycle, and this entire process was laden with humiliation and fear for both of us, but it worked out, as they apparently realized that my actions had ingrained a serious lesson in my son. Once again look at what James has to say. James 2:12-13 NASB So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13) For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. Pay close attention to verse 13 where it says, “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy.” I my story above I feel like I did it right. I feel no blame for the young man, but I grieved with his father who explained how they had seen unusual patterns beginning to develop. I can assure you that there were multiple times that I did not get this right, and here is one. Having been raised in the church, I was severely wounded by a few sarcastic church elders. I carried their wounds most of my life. Did they always occupy my mind? No, but a string of events that I can relate to codependency, seemed to bring their brutal tongues to the forefront of my thinking. The bottom line here is that in my mind I hated them and wanted them to suffer slow, prolonged, and painful torture, for what they did. When you think about the logic in all this, you can see that this pain I believed I inflicted upon them, and the chains I held them in, was all in my head. That means I gave them too much free space in my head. And never, were they aware of this bondage I held them in. During the time involved, I had to maintain the chains, keeping the rust off those chains by oiling them. All this maintenance cost me a tremendous amount of time and energy. Sadly, I felt justified in all this. Primarily I learned I needed to forgive them. Yes, I needed to forgive; the problem is, I had no idea of what to do. Oh sure, mother had her designs, which amounted to letting people continue to slap you until you are spinning, but that was not going to work for me either (anymore.) Thankfully there was a day when a prophetic woman stopped me and said, you have to forgive those men who hurt you! I responded with, alright, but how? She said, it's simple, you merely release them from the debts you think they owe you. To be honest, it only took me a couple of days to realize that I was having no impact on them and that my efforts were simply me, judging them. After, what seemed like a lifetime I released them from the bondage that I felt they owed me. Quickly, I began doing that with ex-wives and others that had offended me. I have, over time, told these truths to others, only to have them say its hard to forgive! I responded briskly with, no, it's not. The only difficult part is you letting go of the imaginary control you think you have. You see, when we set ourselves up as judges and put people into the prison of our minds, we have set ourselves up as God. We have supplanted God and tried to take over His job. In doing this, we have set up our own fates, which James spells out. James 2:12-13 NASB So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13) For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. Since we are not under the law, and yet have an almost identical command in the New Testament, then let's try one more and see if we can find the freedom in it. Deuteronomy 32:35 CJB Vengeance and payback are mine for the time when their foot slips; for the day of their calamity is coming soon, their doom is rushing upon them.' On one hand, this tells us that all vengeance belongs to God, while on the other hand it speaks to payback, which is His also. Their day will come, whether they be religious or ungodly. I will show you Romans 12:19 once again. Romans 12:19 ISV Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord." By taking yourselves out of the judgment seat, you are putting these people back into God's hand. As the ISV translation says, leave room for God's wrath. Alright, there is time for just one more story. On a particular day, I was put in charge of the office where I was outnumbered by women who had taught us men, how to install and repair pay phones. A particular lady, who had a horrific case plantar fasciitis, whined incessantly about how she could not do the job. I suspect that I misread her that day, and thought that she was saying that she could not do the added dimension of installing the wiring. I asked her to stay in the office for a moment and proceeded to tell her, in my most Pharisaical tone, that as a Christian I was ashamed of her because, we, as believers, can do all things through Christ. The short of it, within about six months my judgment came back on me, and I found myself ashamed of my actions. I don't know what became of her, but I lost everything dear to me. So, I understand how this works, and you don't want to get into the judgment game. As an addendum: 4/16/18 Monday morning's Men's study Opened with, "Vengeance, we are not to even have the thought!" Is this possible? Paul, in his letter to Timothy, wrote (2Timothy 4:14,15) 2 Timothy 4:14-15 AMPC Alexander the coppersmith did me great wrongs. The Lord will pay him back for his actions. 15) Beware of him yourself, for he opposed and resisted our message very strongly and exceedingly. 2 Timothy 4:15 GNB Be on your guard against him yourself, because he was violently opposed to our message. 2 Timothy 4:15 MSG Fiercely opposed to our Message, he caused no end of trouble. God will give him what he's got coming.
  10. Daily Reading 71 If you prefer, you can look up the following verses in your own Bible, or by whatever means and in whichever version you choose. Matthew 14:1-21 Leviticus 20-21 Proverbs 30 Audio 4:14 Audio 4:18 Audio 3:51 The above verse addresses are linked to Bible Gateway. That is an easy way to read (or listen to) the Bible verses, and choose your version. Personally, I prefer written, that way I can go at my own pace, and think about it, before moving on. Nothing wrong with doing either or both. The Bible says faith comes by hearing. See the picture below to get an idea of what to expect if you follow the above links. Note: The audio will not play the exact verses, it will play the whole chapters, in which the verses exist. Thank you Lord for making the your word so accessible for us in these times. Amen
  11. .Thought I would offer this, since it comes up from time to time. This is not at all unique to me nor even an unusual understanding, and shared here because other understandings can be very stressful, and even if they were to be true, they would be of little or no use. Some wonder if they have committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The concern comes from this passage: 30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. There we see that there is a sin, a type pf blasphemy which will never be forgiven, a very sobering thought. It seems to me, that a look at the context of these verses, may help us to understand what is going on. 23 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 233 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” That name there (Beelzebul) comes from a transliteration of the Hebrew "Baal Zebub" or "Baʿal Zəvûv ", which occurs in 2 Kings, chapter 1. There he is referred to as the god of Ekron. Baal, meaning lord or god, and Zebub, meaning "of flies" or "of fliers". Common belief was that demons, and angels, had wings. The lord of the flying ones (demons) would of course, be Satan. The name Baal Zebub, is the name of a Philistine god. This is what is in the minds of Jesus' critics in verse 24. So, just before Jesus said that there is a sin which is not forgiven, we have the Pharisees saying that it is by the power of Satan, that Jesus was able to cast out demons. Since it was the power of God that Jesus did His miracles, these Pharisees were in essence, saying that the Holy Spirit was an unholy spirit, Satan himself. From this we see what is so blasphemous. Some will say, that the only unforgivable sin, is dying without having accepted Jesus as Lord. I understand their thinking, and certainly they are right that those who refuse God's grace, will not be forgiven, but I think their understanding is a bit off. Dying is not a sin, so dying without accepting Jesus, is not the unforgivable sin. The text says, all manners of sin, except one, will be forgiving. What is important, is that any sin, separates us from God, and we are destined for eternal separation from God, if our sins are not forgiven. So, looking back at the text again we see: every kind of sin can be forgiven, except one, blasphemy against the Spirit. It says nothing about dying, it does not even mention faith, though faith is missing from those who blaspheme. it simply says there is only one sin, a specific blasphemy, which will never be forgiven. So, while it is true that refusing Jesus all ones life is an eternal death sentence (in as much as all sinners are already headed for destruction apart from God's saving grace), repentance is possible the whole time until we run our to time, when life ends. It is remarkable, and reassuring even, that the test says that we can even speak against Jesus Himself, and still find forgiveness. The only unforgivable sin, according to Jesus, is to slander the Holy Spirit by equating Him with Satan. It seems likely, that we will never encounter a person who has committed the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. God has a habit of searing the conscience (the Bible often calls this a hardened heart) of those who steadfastly refuse to accept Him. When a person comes to us, and expresses that they think they might have committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, chances are great, that this has not happened. This person is still concerned about the things of God, and is acknowledging His existence. That is a form of faith, even if that faith is weak, and underdeveloped, under exercised. If God has abandoned them, they would likely have ceased to be concerned about God. To worry about being unforgiven, is to acknowledge God is real, and that sin is real, and that the solution to the eternal consequences of sin, if found in the forgiveness of God. A person seeking God, seeking to please God does so, because the Spirit of God is drawing that person. No one comes to God, that the Spirit has not drawn first. John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. I don't think that God is going to draw people to Himself, that He has no intention of forgiving, and the promise is that the one who comes to Him, He will raise up, on the last day. That promise does not have conditions or limitations. It is a sad thing, that some believers worry, are despndent, that they will be lost because they discovered this verse about unforgivable sin. If a person has truly come to God, they have been saved, and will not be lost - God does not take back, what He has given,and no one can snatch a beleiver out of His hands, God's grip if firm, no power in the universe, exceed His power, and His love is extreme towards those He treasures. 1 Cor 12:3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
  12. Hi everyone! I have another question. Once we are in heaven will we still be sinners? Some Christians argue that only God is perfect, so yes, we will sin in heaven, for we are not, and never will be, God. Others argue that since it is the spirit that wrestles with the flesh (e.g. the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.) the flesh will be remade during the resurrection and the spirit will be joined to the flesh or something to that effect. Anyway, they argue that since all is remade and made new we will be perfect, or at least, we will never again sin against God or make mistakes, but rather we will be perfect as Christ is perfect. But if that were true, how did Lucifer, who was/is Spirit, rebel and sin against God? Presumably he too was perfect, until his fall from heaven, when he became lifted up in pride. If the angels are perfect and everyone in heaven is perfect, how did Satan sin against God? He was called the "son of the morning".
  13. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. - Philippians 2:6 When we are looking to progress in our understanding of the Lord we must look to the heart and what dwells within. Of all the least talked about sins in our day, Envy is near the top of the list. Perhaps one of the greatest roots of envy is the jealously that God is God and we are not. Such evil desires that desires more then what is given or deserved becomes a distortion of love and therefore is the opposite of love. Thomas Aquinas says of Envy: "Envy according to the aspect of its object is contrary to charity, whence the soul derives its spiritual life. Charity rejoices in our neighbor's good, while envy grieves over it." Envy is as old as Adam and Eve. Their firstborn son Cain envied Abel and killed him over extreme jealously. Cain envied Abel because God favored Abel's sacrifice over Cain's. Envy defiles a person and makes them hideous always seeking to put down others that they may be exalted. Of course this is not how it looks on the outside, it can even appear holy but inwardly the desires are evil. Saul envied David (1 Samuel 18:5-9). Isaac, envied the Philistines (Genesis 26:12-16). Envy cannot dwell with true godliness but with only that which is false, unspiritual and demonic (James 3:13-16). John R. Stott says, "Envy! Envy is the reverse side of a coin called vanity. Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself." We can envy one's wealth, position, fame, title, honour, health, possessions and many other things. Only Christ who was the one that walked in true humility and did not even count his status as the Son of God important, but humbled himself to death and did not envy but died and emptied himself. In God's kingdom when we empty ourselves we are filled, when we die we live, when we humble ourselves we are exalted. When we envy we destroy ourselves. The holy Apostle Peter tells us to "put away envy" (1 Peter 2:1). Strike it away from yourself, be violent with such evil desires that arise in you. Have a remedy also for this poison of the heart. When someone is exalted rejoice! When you are lowered rejoice. Never desire anothers exaltation but rejoice that they have been blessed of God and praise God for such a thing. Be content with the gifts God has given you, the Heavenly Father is wise and all-knowing in what He has entrusted you with. Sadly when we envy we follow the error also of satan who envied the very throne of God but was cast down in judgment. Let our dying to envy show the evil one and all demons that we are of those who obey Jesus and are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Amen.
  14. You say that Christ freed us from sin and yet at the same time you say that we cannot become sin free beings, and are doomed to be sinful the rest of our lives. Can you explain Biblically what this means?
  15. So many Christians today hide from God. Yes, they deliberately avoid God, or refuse to allow Him access into their lives. "When God looks at me" they say, "He doesn't see me, He just sees the blood of Jesus which covers me". They then go about their daily lives having a form of godliness but denying its power. This is like a man with a broken neck refusing to see the doctor. Or one with an infection on the lung and refusing antibiotics. Our problem with God is not a Behavioural problem, nor is it a legal one. Pardon or justification alone does not change us from sinners to saints. We are rebels not because the law says so; we are rebels because our minds and hearts are corrupted. Obeying the law doesn't deal with our corrupt minds, nor does doing away with the law. Hiding behind the "blood of Jesus" is legalism, in that that person is afraid of the punishment due his sin...afraid God is going to judge him and condemn him to death. But what God wants to do is heal him. Remove the corrupt thinking and the sin problem goes away....therefore there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Not because they have been forgiven, but as you may read in the verses following Romans 8:1, the carnal fleshly sinful MIND (note, not the behavior or the legal status) has been changed to a spiritual mind. The only cure for sin is to allow the Great Physician to heal us. To renew our minds and hearts and conform them after the image of Christ. Surrender yourselves to God today...allow Him free and open access into your every secret closet...let Him renew and work in you according to His good pleasure..... ‭That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.‭ Romans 8:4
  16. Having experienced the torments of Hell, I can verify the legitimacy of this testimony, but more importantly, discernment tells me it's real and genuine. I encourage those who watch this not to go down a rabbit hole of Hell testimonies all at once, it can be overwhelming and very depressing, please be led by the Spirit by discerning the voice of God on all pursuits, but Jesus has taken people to experience these experiences for a reason. May you learn from these testimonies and be convicted (if necessary) and not condemned by responding to that conviction accordingly, (remember God chastises those He loves!) and may the Lord bless you mightily in Jesus' mighty name! Revelation 20:15: And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Luke 12:5: But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Revelation 21:8: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
  17. Yes. I would love Jesus anyway. How about you? My love is unconditional. Or I at least want it to be. I am practising unconditional love. Jesus comes from a place of unconditional love and he is in heaven (and here all over the earth as the Holy Spirit) and in heaven there is only unconditional love. I believe you must come from a place of unconditional love yourself, before you can enter heaven. I don´t think you can enter heaven if you have sin in you. Sin is not allowed in heaven. So I believe you must come from a place of unconditional love in order to enter heaven. How can you become unconditionally loving? By following Jesus. Jesus is the way of truth and unconditional love that leads eternal life in heaven. Follom him. He is the way. "I am the way." - Jesus (John 14:6) Thoughts? EDIT: oh, I noticed this is the "seekers lounge"... Maybe this post doesn´t belong here. Sorry!
  18. We Are Fighting Demons More Than Democrats Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions. Proverbs 10:12 (New American Standard Bible) ........ What I’m calling for is simple and clear. It is for followers of Jesus to seek God’s face in prayer with a deep sense of urgency, asking Him to have mercy on our nation. It is for us to humble ourselves before Him in deep repentance for our own sins and failings. It is for us to renew our commitment to the Great Commission and to focus once again on winning the lost and making disciples. It is for us to shine like lights in dark places, confronting evil and injustice, helping the poor and the hurting, making a tangible difference for good wherever God has placed us. It is for us to live in the light of eternity, recognizing that what we do (or don’t do) in our time on earth will have implications in both this world and the world to come. In short, it is for us to take the Bible seriously, and that means submitting to God, resisting the devil, and pushing back the forces of darkness by the power of the gospel. Not only can it be done, with God’s gracious help, it must be done. Are you with me? https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2017/03/30/we-are-fighting-demons-more-than-democrats-n2306510
  19. Is sin a verb, showing action or activity or is it a noun as if it were a presence withing our word? Could a homosexual who dose not act out against Gods laws by actively showing interest in persons of the same sex or sleeping with the same ever enter into the kingdom of God?
  20. What You Soul Is What You Will Reap. As a believer, two scriptures borders me when it comes to the issue of sin. It is a terrible thing, a sinner in one department of his or her life is an all round sinner no matter how smart you are. The bible says in proverb 11:21. ” though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered”. No matter the name you call sin you, you can not change the name but still remains a sin. You can steal money and call it misappropriation of the fund but heaven calls it stealing that is why the bible says be ye not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7 The only remedy for sin is for you to repent. If you are told that you should continue in it that grace abounds or sufficient for you, you are on your way to hell fire.
  21. Ever wonder why? Why laws and rules? Why sin and sacrifice? The Answer is Order and Disorder. God is Spirit, God in terms of The Essence of The Creator, the Fullness. God is made of Knowledge and Wisdom, in Human terms, in this Creation. The Father is. The Father is the Knowledge and Wisdom of God. From The Father Came The Spirit. The Spirit is the Fullness of the Wisdom of The Father. The Spirit is not the fullness of The Father. The Son is The Fullness of The Father and The Spirit. The SON is The Fullness of The Father Manifested in Creation. ------------------------------------------------------------ Creation was made perfect, no sin, no decay, no death, no entropy, only Order. Entropy is the reaction, to the action of sin, entropy is creations half-life. Adam at the "Time" of sin's introduction into creation was as he was on the day he was created. Whatever "age" he was created at. Now the Reason for what we see today. Order is, wherever The Fullness of The Creator is, "there" Order reigns. Disorder becomes Order, The disorder before Creation was acted upon by the Presence of The Fullness of The Creator and Order became manifest from disorder. All creation is made out of building blocks which are then acted upon by Forces and Powers that organize disorderly "matter" into orderly matter. All matter is divided by Order and laws are in place, or individual matter's instructions/programming. Therefore NATURAL LAW is made manifest by obedience to the order given to matter by Powers and Forces. Order is accomplished in Creation by Obedience to "optimal programming standards, or OPS. Lucifer or The Prince of the Power of the Air, decided that his programming was not sufficient and broke Natural Laws OPS, therefore trespassing or transgressing into knowledge he shouldnt know. His transgression was the original sin which thrust creation into entropy. Lucifer the spirit was the influence behind the serpent, or Nachash which tempted Eve with breaking natural law in order to become something greater than originally programmed for. Eve, once deceived, then had the knowledge on how to deceive Adam. Though Eves deception of Adam was innocent in motive, only just learning that this "food" was good to "evolve" themselves into something better, it was outside the bounds of lawful actions placed by the ELOHIM, and therefore Sin. When Sin, or disorder, "anti-matter" was introduced into this perfect system, the system or creation which had for an unknown period of Sun-ups and Sun-downs living with the fullness of The Creators Spirit, undying, without decay, was forced to now live without the fullness of The Creators Spirit, which had up until that point been a fountain of youth of sorts. Now the law of Entropy took hold of creation and Death was introduced into the World. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Law of Moses was the Knowledge of how one may live on earth without sin, yet the Law was perfect, mankind alone is not, soo sacrifices were instituted to take the place of the action called for when creation breaks the laws of its intended programming, which is immediate death. What was missing from The Law of the Knowledge to live a perfect life, was The Wisdom of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Mankind that they may decern how to properly apply The Law in their lives. Therefore since the flesh of man was corrupted by sin and not worthy to hold The Holy Spirit, an ultimate sacrifice must be made as a blueprint for cleansing ones flesh that the Holy Spirit may indwell and give wisdom and instruction to walk the narrow path successfully. Soo you see The Law, is the Law of Order for Mankind, The original purpose and rules, a lofty target that only God Himself could reach. We were given The Word which became flesh and overcame this sinful world and lit up the Way to redemption and a return to The Source of Love. The Spirit comes that Mankind may have the power to overcome this sinful creation, creation ruled by entropy, that mankind may abide in the fullness of the Creator forever. Every Living thing has rules for living an optimum orderly life. When you break these rules of living you sin. But the reasons for the rules are not random "unfair" rules, they are orderly and through obedience to these Natural Laws you will not sin. Mankind was not created for the scenario you see around you today, this is the reaction of creation to Sin, or disorder. Therefore to understand why we believe what we do you must start with Rule Number One. Do Not Reject God's Word. In fact hold to his rules that you may live out your life in peace. That is the task and purpose of life, to return your life to Order for eternity. Now, when you look at Moses Law you will see a program that causes the body and spirit of a man to live orderly, as intended. Now, when you look at Yeshua's commands you will see the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit on how to apply God's Knowledge of intended living. Notice that Yeshua said He was the Way, that we walk A Path, we do not and never were intended to walk in his exact footsteps, he gave us leeway to move right and left within the confines of The Path of optimal living. All this Knowledge ONLY made available THROUGH the Holy Spirit, which Who can only be received by the cleansing of sin, which is made possible by accepting the Sacrifice of The Word who became flesh and fulfilled the Law of Life, in BELIEVING in Him who cleanses us from sin, we are cleansed and are made WORTHY to house the Spirit of God that we may receive POWER to overcome this world!! That is what it's about, that is The Reason.
  22. The creator gave us the tree of life in the beginning, what choices did we have then, and how do they compare to the choices between good and evil now?
  23. Matthew 11:29 - "Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest." Imagine bringing a problem, wrapped in a "burden bundle," to the throne of Jesus. Picture Him reaching out and offering to take it. Does the picture include your being all too glad to turn it over to Him or do you imagine yourself hesitating? Remember that trust is a part of praise. Affirmations: TODAY I STOP FIGHTING WITH GOD AND LEARN FROM HIM! I LET HIS WORD PUT TO DEATH THE TORMENTS OF THE SIN NATURE. I CEASE STRUGGLING; I CEASE WRESTLING AGAINST THE BLESSED ONE FOR I AM COMMITTED TO SURRENDER. MY REST COMES FROM BECOMING HONEST ABOUT MY NEEDS AND ALLOWING CHRIST TO CHANGE ME. Matthew 19:26 - Jesus looked at them and said, "with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." With God, all things are possible, and He easily factors in our human weaknesses. He is both almighty and providential – and He providentially chose to give us human beings a free will, risking our likely revolt. He knows what the devil does to us. He's still God, and He loves us. He takes the hands of those who ask Him to guide them and He will restore to them the years that seemed to have been lost forever. Observation: TIME SPENT IN PRAYER IS NOT TIME WASTED BUT TIME INVESTED. AS I EMBRACE THE WILL OF GOD, AS I LIVE BEFORE HIM IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST, AS I SEEK TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSES, NOTHING WILL BE ABLE TO HINDER MY PRAYERS. Song of Solomon 2:5,6 - "Sustain me with flowers, refresh me with apples; for I am lovesick. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me." AS SOON AS THE BRIDEGROOM (JESUS) SETS HIS LOVE WITHIN YOU, HE THEN BLESSES YOU WITH FELLOWSHIP DEEP WITHIN YOUR SPIRIT. YOU ARE ABLE TO BEAR MORE AND MORE OF GOD'S PRESENCE WITHOUT GROWING FAINT. CONFIRMED IN LOVE, YOU LIVE IN GOD. 1 John 4:16 - "Thus we have come to know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love; he who dwells in love is dwelling in God, and God in him." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  24. Hey everyone, How would you respond to people who slander or make remarks about God in a vile way? Saying stuff like, "God is cruel." and other things? I tend to get defensive over the issue and I find myself always defending God or correcting them.
  25. The sixth place Jesus shed His blood was where a soldier shoved a spear into His side and blood and water poured out. Jesus died from a broken heart -- from the weight of our sin. It is a physical phenomenon that when a person's heart bursts, the water and blood of his body flow together. When Jesus announced His ministry in the synagogue, He read from the scroll: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18) Jesus was anointed with the power to heal the brokenhearted because God desires for His people to live in joy. When we are filled with joy, we have the strength to fight the good fight of faith. Nehemiah 8:10 - "The joy of the Lord is your strength." His heart was broken so our hearts could be made whole. We overcome the wounds of broken hearts by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus became our sin so we wouldn't have to sin. He became our sickness so we wouldn't have to be sick. He became our broken heart so we wouldn't have to have a broken heart. Jesus came to restore our joy Psalm 138:8; 147:3 - "The Lord will accomplish what concerens me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Affirmation: TODAY I ALLOW THE HEALING POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS TO DELIVER ME FROM ALL PAIN, SORROW, AND GRIEF. I LET HIM FILL ME WITH THE JOY OF THE LORD AND LET THAT JOY BECOME MY STRENGTH, NOT JUST FOR TODAY, BUT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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