Why waste the energy?

[Fiosh]

Dear Opus dei,

I was raised Catholic and my whole family is still Catholic.  I, however, chose another route.  It is certainly wrong to say that a Catholic person is a follower of the antichrist.  sheesh,  I know that there are lots of Christians in the Catholic church, just as there are lots of Christians in other Christian denominations.  In fact, all Christian denominations have both wheat and tares--true Christians and false ones. 

There is however, some evidence in the book of Revelation that the Antichrist may be manifested in the Catholic church.  I do believe, however, there are differing opinions on this.  There are opportunities within all churches for Satan to take hold.  I belonged to the Christian/Church of Christ for years (funny so did Jim Jones) Then of course, there is the shocking revelation that the BTK killer is the president of a Lutheran congregation!  The sexual abuse of children by priests is a shameful blow to Christianity as well,  And who can forget Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Baker and other televanelists of questionable character. We could go on and on. And on a more personal note, we all have failed somehow haven't we?

So, what's a Christian to do? Know the Word, so you can't be misled.  Believe that Christ died for your sins. Love God and most importantly, if you find yourself in church where your faith is compromised---RUN.  God will take care of His children.

"Come out from her," God tells those of his children who find themselves in the midst of Babylon.

But don't be fooled there is no secret code you have to learn, no special prophet to follow.  Just be God's child and trust Him,  he will lead you where you need to be.

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Except for the RCC and the antichrist part---great post!!!

[Sgtazur]

A state of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense for heaven or hell. The NIV says "within you".

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The NIV is God's word on drugs... I could throw it farther than I can trust it.

http://www.av1611.org/niv.html

...And there's a difference between a state of consciousness and having the holy spirit inside of you. The whole consciousness/awareness ideas came from Hinduism - and they should stay there! Keep idolatory ideas with the idolatrous religions.

[Fiosh]

A state of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense for heaven or hell. The NIV says "within you".

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The NIV is God's word on drugs... I could throw it farther than I can trust it.

http://www.av1611.org/niv.html

...And there's a difference between a state of consciousness and having the holy spirit inside of you. The whole consciousness/awareness ideas came from Hinduism - and they should stay there! Keep idolator ideas with the idolatrous religions.

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Sgtazur,,,you're probably right about the NIV. I've found many places in it where the translators intentionally covered up contadictions and absurdities. But the KJV has so many forged passages that you can't even begin to trust it. Which translation do you prefer?

Regarding that Hindu idolatry, I've got a story for you.

One day a christian missionary in India went for a walk and saw some children playing together. Some of the children were hindu and some were christian. The missionary stopped to talk with them and asked if they knew where God lived. The christian children pointed to the sky while the hindu children pointed to themselves.

I guess you're right. If christians stopped believing in a far away god that lives up in the sky, they wouldn't have anything to wait on. If you believed that the kingdom of God is within your consciousness, you'd have to take responsibility for your life, since there is no poverty or disease in the kingdom of God. Did you know that a man IS...what he thinks about all day long? Did you also know that some people can look at the condition of a person's life, and know exactly what negative sabotaging thoughts he entertains? How embarrassing!

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hey TC,

That little story, while cute, is misleading. Hindus have no personal God...only a "god-consciousness". How sad for them.

I have a God who condescends to know me by name, and gives me the grace to know Him as Father....even "Abba"...."Daddy".

I believe that God IS in me. The Bible clearly states it. Any true Christian believes it.

While your argument is impressively existential. It's not my brand of existentialism.

My reality is far more exciting and expansive than what goes on in my puny little mind.

Although I'll give you 1/2 credit for your understanding of the power of thought:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things....Then the God of peace will be with you". Phill 4: 8-9

I pray one day the God of peace will be with you, TC.

Peace,

Fiosh

[HisWordIsSufficient]

Fiosh...

God cannot be sitting on a throne up in the sky AND be inside you at the same time.

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Tubal Cain,

Oh Yes He can! And He is!

The Holy Spirit is God on earth and in us,

Yet Jesus and the Father are in heaven, and Jesus is at the right hand...

Since there a trinity, there all here in us and in heaven. Its all in your bible...

And what a wonderful revalation you'll get if you dont know this yet!

[RGR]

A state of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense for heaven or hell. The NIV says "within you".

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The NIV is God's word on drugs... I could throw it farther than I can trust it.

http://www.av1611.org/niv.html

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That is just totally ignorant! I read the NIV daily and I love it and don't you DARE say I'm not saved-remember, the KJV is a TRANSLATION only. Jesus and Paul did not speak Ye Olde English.

[mrs]

A state of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense for heaven or hell. The NIV says "within you".

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The NIV is God's word on drugs... I could throw it farther than I can trust it.

http://www.av1611.org/niv.html

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That is just totally ignorant! I read the NIV daily and I love it and don't you DARE say I'm not saved-remember, the KJV is a TRANSLATION only. Jesus and Paul did not speak Ye Olde English.

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Being partial to the KJV I'd have to say its the better translation But I wouldn't go so far as to say the NIV is not the Word of God.

[Sgtazur]

A state of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense for heaven or hell. The NIV says "within you".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The NIV is God's word on drugs... I could throw it farther than I can trust it.

http://www.av1611.org/niv.html

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That is just totally ignorant! I read the NIV daily and I love it and don't you DARE say I'm not saved-remember, the KJV is a TRANSLATION only. Jesus and Paul did not speak Ye Olde English.

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"don't you DARE say I'm not saved"

er, where did I say that?

[Sgtazur]

A state of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense for heaven or hell. The NIV says "within you".

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The NIV is God's word on drugs... I could throw it farther than I can trust it.

http://www.av1611.org/niv.html

...And there's a difference between a state of consciousness and having the holy spirit inside of you. The whole consciousness/awareness ideas came from Hinduism - and they should stay there! Keep idolator ideas with the idolatrous religions.

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Sgtazur,,,you're probably right about the NIV. I've found many places in it where the translators intentionally covered up contadictions and absurdities. But the KJV has so many forged passages that you can't even begin to trust it. Which translation do you prefer?

Er, where was it forged from? What did they do, did translators take the original greek scrolls and erase part of the 1500-yr-old parchment?!?!?!?!? Remember that these people were VERY strict God-loving christians who wouldn't dare take liberty with God's texts.... Many of them knew the bible very well, and they probably feared to make the slightest error because they knew this passage at the end:

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.

They feared the Lord.

[SpiritLedEd]

You know that Luke 17:21 has Jesus saying that the kingdom of God is within you. That's pretty much saying that heaven is a state of conscousness, same as hell. Ol' Pope JP was pretty sharp.

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There is some dispute whether the Greek preposition "entos" is being used to mean "within" or "among"---referring to Jesus Himself.

In either case, not a state of consciousness-----a REALITY.

That's the part many people, Christians and atheists alike, have trouble with.

This stuff is real.

Peace to you,

Fiosh

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[SpiritLedEd]

As to whether or not "Heaven" and "Hell" are real places, some clairification is needed.

Just as there are physical places in the space/time universe we live in now, I believe that "Heaven" and "Hell" are spiritual places in the eternal realm that awaits us at the end of our time on earth. Whether or not these places have specific linear dimentions as we understand dimentions , is a matter of conjecture because of the imperfect nature of human reasoning.

Also, remember that the Bible often uses hyperbole to stress a point.. Twenty-first cerntury writers do the same. Identifying "Heaven" and/or "Hell" as places in Scripture could be legitimate use of this literary tool.