Got Questions?

[MorningGlory]

2 hours ago, Jaydog1976 said:

I like GQ.org. I may not always agree with them but they are a great resource. However people do need to get out of the online virtual church as Yowm said above and get out and get into a physical local body of believers. And I know that there are some in the forums that just need to get into the Bible. I find is sad that many times you'll have someone post something that sounds spiritual yet they don't know scripture to lean on. Just my 2 cents. 

I am in agreement here, laydog.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a site like GotQuestions or Go.org but I like to read what other believers think and believe not just the opinions of somebody writing for a website.  The Bible IS the place to get the Word.

[listener24]

On 12/1/2017 at 10:20 PM, Neighbor said:

Why read the word of God, as it is hard work?

Why pray, as it is hard work?

Why think, as it is hard work?

 

 

On 12/1/2017 at 10:36 PM, brakelite said:

The Saviour declares, "All ye are brethren." Everyone is exposed to temptation, and are liable to error. No-one is infallible, no, not even the pope.

Upon no mortal finite being can we depend for guidance. The Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church. Even the weakest least knowledgeable person may depend on the Spirit of God to impart to them understanding and to reveal truth.

Amen, brakelite. I think that the question is more than legit, since the risk to mindlessly use a source or another as a source of truth other than the Word of Christ, being it a person, a group, a website or whatever. It would be like graduating, by always using an "help" at the exams instead of studying by oneself, and even worse because in this case the help may be wrong.

Of course, as many other sources, a good use of GQ can be done too, if one keeps in mind what brakelite brilliantly suggested.

Never risk to say "that person/organization/church/website is truthful", or "yeah he/she is really a man/woman of God/trusted source, let's believe everything he/she/it says", but always analyze every word of a speech and not who said them, except for the Word of Christ. 

That way, from time to time we may find ourselves learning a correct interpretation from a child, or an unexpected person.

As you mentioned, it takes hard work, but it also saves a lot of time by avoiding deceptions, and it gives the opportunity to the Spirit to blow in us.

Edited December 20, 2017 by listener24

[Jayne]

What makes GQ credible to me isn't the sources of other people that they cite, per se, although that is important scholarship integrity to do .... but they always cite Biblical sources and that's foremost and primary to me.  Do I agree with everything they say?  About 80-90%.  They are reformed and do have a Calvinist slant.  But any study help is good - although EVERY study help should be examined in the light of what the Bible says.  There is a LOT of trash and unBiblical junk out there passing as truth.

Study the Bible always.

Use helps sometimes.

[Neighbor]

7 hours ago, Jayne said:

What makes GQ credible to me isn't the sources of other people that they cite, per se, although that is important scholarship integrity to do .... but they always cite Biblical sources and that's foremost and primary to me.  Do I agree with everything they say?  About 80-90%.  They are reformed and do have a Calvinist slant.  But any study help is good - although EVERY study help should be examined in the light of what the Bible says.  There is a LOT of trash and unBiblical junk out there passing as truth.

Study the Bible always.

Use helps sometimes.

Sssh, don't tell Missmuffett "they" have a Calvinist slant. Sssh. She doesn't know yet, hehehe. BTW the Bible has a Calvinist slant too.  

Edited December 22, 2017 by Neighbor

[Neighbor]

6 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

Sssh, don't tell Missmuffett "they" have a Calvinist slant. Sssh. She doesn't know yet, hehehe. BTW the Bible has a Calvinist slant too.  

Hey , maybe Got Questions is better than I had thought!

[john1]

On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 10:20 PM, Neighbor said:

Am I wrong to think Got Questions is a disservice

I don't think so, I study the bible on a mp3 player 2 or more hours a day most days, but I don't go to church, because I don't like the way it's run, I don't think a pastor should be in charge, Jesus didn't have a degree, none of his disciples did, I think church should be a gathering place to discuss the bible, and everyone to learn, and if they can teach.

1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 26

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.

Ephesians chapter 5 verse 19

speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
 

Does anyone know of a church like that, I don't, if you know of a church like that please let me know, most of them don't even want to discuss the bible after the service, that I've been to.

[Dennis1209]

On 12/1/2017 at 9:26 PM, simplejeff said:

When it is right, it may be helpful,  providing or provided it supplies the Scripture and the Truth about Scripture, from Scripture.

Sometimes it is wrong.

As Jesus stated clearly,  many may read the Scripture and study it thinking that in Scripture they will find life.

Yet they reject Jesus,  even though they are the best 'scholars' around.

Also, clear from all Scripture - no one can understand anything, unless the Father in heaven grants it .

Also clear,  He must take away the veil - no one can take it away themself, nor can anyone else take it away - so people remain blind to the truth, no matter how much they read , no matter how much they memorize Scripture,  and no matter how many PhD's or other so-called 'degrees' as scholars or whatever they have.

The Father takes great pleasure in hiding salvation from the educated,  and

the Father takes great pleasure in REVEALING ALL THINGS to babes ! 

Did you just copy and paste the above from gotquestions.org 

I never use it myself, but those that copy and paste it here and read, I seldom have many issues with, seems pretty sound to me.

[missmuffet]

FYI

Anytime you copy and paste anything from got questions you have to put their web address underneath what you have copied and pasted.

[Neighbor]

19 hours ago, john1 said:

I don't think so, I study the bible on a mp3 player 2 or more hours a day most days, but I don't go to church, because I don't like the way it's run, I don't think a pastor should be in charge, Jesus didn't have a degree, none of his disciples did, I think church should be a gathering place to discuss the bible, and everyone to learn, and if they can teach.

1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 26

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.

Ephesians chapter 5 verse 19

speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
 

Does anyone know of a church like that, I don't, if you know of a church like that please let me know, most of them don't even want to discuss the Bible after the service, that I've been to.

Jesus's local church body is strong, rooted in the lessons of Paul to Timothy, written by authority  inspired of God.  It is also of the teaching by the apostles who learned from God the Son before His ascension. Those churches are strong biblical local bodies of Christ Jesus, His church, filled with the offices of church as made known  in the Bible itself for today.

 The Holy Spirit  has had no trouble directing me to  my Lord's churches, for my benefit and to his glory. Now it is true I have had to concede to the Holy Spirit and travel many hundreds of miles, thousands even, but he has led and I have followed. I am blessed with membership in a local body that  protects me as I go through life's trials and tribulations gaining in sanctification. 

 I made the terrible error of once thinking I must go it alone that  all churches did nothing of benefit. I suffered under that error six long  years before God restored my insight and my heart for His church.

 

Seems to me from what  every  man that declares himself an independent agent, a rouge, projects about himself is that the  one thing that man or woman has in common with others of like mind is that they will not allow themselves humility and authority  by another man over them. They are haughty and unbending to authority, refusing to allow God's yoke upon them. They deny God's anointment of anyone but themselves. That trait I find to be universal in the lone Christians - pride unrepentant. Each will go into long and vain argument as to why they are loners, but none absolutely none bow to the anointed of God  by the Holy Spirit gifted as overseers Elders deacons deaconesses, instead they give grief to all. Which is a direct violation of the command of God to obey all authority over them.

On occasion one like that will come into church and soon declare they are anointed and want to teach not learn, lead not follow, be respected but not respect, and they are told firmly you must learn  first the word of God, how to make application of the word and show yourself to be knowledgeable, and under the Holy Spirit and able to first follow before leading.

Not all the parts of body of Christ Jesus are the same, all are not the head....

 

 

As to discussion  after church; I know better! As I spent years having to lock up after, I waited after every gathering, often an hour or more, as talk continued on. Though tempting to turn out the lights, kill the air conditioning, I  waited, for the vital nature of any one conversation  was never known to me personally. It could be a life changing conversation,  a soul could be called  by the Holy Spirit at that moment to repentance and salvation, and so it was and still is that people stay  talk  pray and fellowship.

If no one seems to want to talk  to a particular person it might be because the talker projects that  they do not want conversation, but instead want  puff up self, and disparage the church body. One who converses needs gain the talent and perhaps gift of listening too. Otherwise they are as a sounding brass, an unpleasant noise in the room.

 

Lots of churches follow first century church precepts and are structured after the model revealed in the Bible. The church is not a pastor's church, but Jesus's. The elders are of equal authority, all qualified to teach, but not all are gifted as pastor, deacons likewise have their own qualifications, not all are qualified to  be deacons. Each member though is called of the Holy Spirit to be  part of the church body and to participate in sharing the gospel of Jesus so that many may be found mature in the gospel and be of the saved by Jesus.

Sorry, there is no excuse for sitting alone at home. 

 

[john1]

12 hours ago, Neighbor said:

the church is not a pastor's church, but Jesus's

Thank you for pointing that out, for what ever reason, I didn't think that way.