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Is there sacrifice for sin after Jesus |
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Heb 10:12
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Dave, Yes, I understand those things, however I also am aware that the day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, including that specific group of people, the Jews. In Ezekiel 43:7 says 7 He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die,
Verses like this indicate a permanence or final condition, and are a prophetic revelation not yet fullfilled. Back to you Dave. Thanks for the discussion. |
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What is Pentecost and its significance? |
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Acts 2:1
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Pentecost is the Promise of a Universal Outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon believers who ask for Him (See Luke 11:11, 12, 13) with manifestations Peter emphasizes in his sermon, a promise the Father made centuries earlier by the Prophet Joel (Joel 2) as Peter shows further in Chap. 2. It is the seal of the promise Jesus made in John 14 when He said he would not leave us as orphans, but would send us another comforter, the Holy Spirit.
By the Holy Spirit Jesus constantly remains Emmanuel, God among us. The day iof Pentecost is recorded in history as the birthday of the church which is the body of Christ on earth. |
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Why is the Apocrypha not God inspired? |
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Bible general Archive 1
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There are many reasons that the Apocrypha are not considered to be part of the Hebrew Canon; but, I'd like to address at this time the two books of Macabees. Malachi was the last prophet to speak exclusively to Israel. Even I Maccabees 9:27 and 14:41 confirm that "prophets [had
ceased to appear
among the people." Therefore I and 2 Maccabees could not have been inspired by God and consequently were not part of Scripture. Aside from the errors found in these books I think the above illustration is a valid enough reason to exclude these books from the Canon of Scripture. Which of course they were prior to the 16th century when the Council of Trent proclaimed them scripture. I hope this helps. In Christ, |
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Predetermined or Free Will |
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Luke 8:13
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I have a couple questions with what you stated.
1: Where does it say that Jesus is omnipotent? Jesus says in Mat 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father." If Jesus were omnipotent as you say, He would have known the day and hour.
2: God has predetermined that his plan of salvation will be carried out. This does not mean that he has predetermined who will and will not be saved. God wants everyone to be saved (If you need several versus to back this up, let me know). He provided the means for that to happen through the death and ressurection of Jesus. It is our choice whether to accept his Gift or not. From the very beginning, Adam and Eve made the choice to eat from the tree of knowledge even after God told them not to. In Josh 24:15, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... In 1 Kings 18:21, the worshippers at Mt. Carmel were invited to choose that day whom they would serve, either Baal or God. In Isaiah 5:20, the people were certainly capable of choosing between good and evil. Why are we given the warning in Matt 7:15 ("Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.") if we were predestined to be saved or not? Matt 7:21 says that only the people that choose to do the will of God will enter Heaven. Luke 13:3 tells us that unless we repent (our choice), we will perish. Matt 19:23-24 says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. If we were predetermined, then wouldn't it be just as easy (or hard)? John 3:16 ...whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In John 7: 17-18, If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself... In Romans 1:17-32 is clear that man has chosen evil and is not predetermined to do so. Heb 9:27-28 tells us that we are to face judgment when we die. What would be the need of a judgment if we were predetermined. There are many more versus that talk about our choice which I will post if needed.
3: To renounce your salvation would be to turn your back on God, to no longer believe or accept his Gift. To no longer follow the teachings of Christ. Granted, you could always say that person wasn't really saved then. But then what would you say would have happened to that person if they died prior to that drastic change? And if you say that the person must not have been chosen by God to be saved and was only fooling themselves when they truely believed in Christ and thought they were saved then can you say for sure that anyone is saved? Did Jesus die for everyone or just for a select few? I can show you several versus that show that He died for all, can you show one that says otherwise? Then if Jesus did die for all, how could there be some that God predetermined not to be save?
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Just as if I had never sinned? |
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1 Cor 6:11
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Dear brother or sister JVH0212, I well understand the point of your answer. However, I am not sure if that was the question. I have asked load to clarify if he or she was asking about the future or the present. I am aware that Balaam could not curse Israel because they were righteous in God's sight. However, God Himself spoke through the prophets of Israel's constant sin and faithlessness. Perhaps if we call sin sin, we can be more effective in battling against it. As one saved by grace through faith, I hope fervently for His coming to complete salvation and resurrection. In the meantime, I will continue to run the race, embracing the ongoing grace to repent and the everyday cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. |
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Just as if I had never sinned? |
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1 Cor 6:11
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Dear JVH0212, No misunderstanding. I was also referring to righteousness meaning no sin. The OT is our teacher, and Balaam was told by God that Israel was blameless, even though the other prophets proclaimed Israel's guilt. We of the NT can claim righteousness as an eternal reward of our faith, but in practice we have not yet achieved it. Please look at the note that I posted to the original questioner, 'load.' |
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Ezekiel 38:15 |
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Ezekiel
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I agree with the other answer, that we can guess all we want who will come from the north, but the truth will be known after it comes to pass. Prophecy is not given so that we know the details before hand, but so that we know that God knows the end from the beginning. 1PE 1:10 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries" it goes on to say that even they didn't know the details of the things that they were writing about. The passage says from the north. Other passages I have been told tell of Gog and Magog, and Moscow they say comes from the same root as Magog. But I would still caution you not to put any stock in detailed proclamations that go beyond what the scriptures say.
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Blue marbles roll faster than red ones |
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Rev 19:4
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Thank you for challenging me to look the urantia book up. It was very informative. It kind of reminded me of L.Ron Hubbard's Dianetics mixed with the teachings of the church latter-day saints (mormons). I can't say that I agree with your assesment of it value, however. 2 Cor 11:14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (NAS;lockman foundation)
The most effective lie, is that which contains some truth in it. I believe that the Urantia Book is clever scheme of our adversary, the devil, to distract us from truly finding the truth. John 8:31-32 ( So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." NAS;lockman foundation)
Joseph Smith had a vision. He was visited by the angel moroni, this angel gave him instructions to write what became known as the book of mormon. I believe Joseph. I think he did see an angel. However, I believe he saw a fallen angel, a demon. 1 Tim 4:1 "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (NAS;lockman foundation)
We need to be carefull what we accept as truth and test everything.
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."(NAS;lockman foundation)
I am willing to listen to any biblical evidence that you have that might support your theories on the book of urantia being part of "Holy Scripture".
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Calling, contrary to scripture? |
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1 Tim 2:12
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God uses even donkeys . He is not a respector of persons ,and there is neither male nor female in God.he will use any one who is on fire for him be it man or woman, i had a friend that told me that god had called him and he said why me God and the Lord answered ; because the other three refused.if you look up the curse that man got when adam fell womans curse was child bearing in pain Gen 3:16 and man shall rule over you.Jesus freed us from that curse ,except child birth pains ,hehe. sorry! in those days the custom was just that ,woman were un learned so they never taught. do a study of prophetesses,this may expand your veiw |
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Why must the devil be released? |
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Rev 20:3
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Revelation 20:7-10 (NIV)
. . . "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
. . . Why will the devil be released? To "go out to deceive the nations", according to God's plan.
. . . What will be the devil's ultimate fate? See verse 10.
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Have you ever looked at Urantia Book? |
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Rev 19:4
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I'm sorry, but I think I missed something somewhere. You said earlier "According to reports, the book was produced by more than 400 experts who were told to prepare questions for God regarding the need for additional knowledge and understanding in their fields of expertise. These questions were submitted. The answers came from 'out there.'" and now you feel that it is the scroll that Daniel was to seal until the times of the end?. Don't you think it's more likely that the group of 400 people concocted their own religion? I also assume that you must believe that we are in the times of the end and have been ever since the book went on sale. You also mentioned that you watched a man read the book and go insane. Did you sit and watch him read the entire 2000 pages? and Did he go insane gradually as he read or did it happen as soon as he finished the book?
Sorry, I'll stick to the Bible.
Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." |
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Was Paul right to have gone to Jerusalem |
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Acts 21:4
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It has been asked if Paul should have gone to Jerusalem or whether he was acting on his own will. I think we might question the spirit of the people who were telling him not to set foot in Jerusalem. We might question also if the Holy Spirit said His alleged message. But in any case it was decided, "The will of the Lord be done."
Thus, I would not capitalize the Spirit of Acts 21:4 and would cast doubt on the words of the prophet Agabus in verse ll. |
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Who or what should never be honored? |
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Proverbs
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Persons in the Bible who have no honor or who are not to be honored include, but are not limited to: the person of the mighty, King Uzziah, and anyone who is a fool.
. . . Generally, I limit my answers to what the Bible SAYS or what it clearly teaches when all relevant passages are considered. However, other persons who are not to be honored would obviously include: any man or woman with the spirit of antichirst, evildoers, workers of abominable and detestable things, false prophets and teachers, anyone whom the Lord does not honor, etc.
. . . NOTE: The Bible warns us, in Jude verses 8-10, not to revile nor prounounce "railing judgment" against "angelic majesties." Verse 9 (NASB): But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil...did not dare to pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (This does not imply that we should honor the devil, but that we should NOT pronounce a railing judgment against him.)
. . . I do not claim that this list is complete or that it includes EVERY person the Bible forbids us to honor. In the Bible there are other persons whom the Lord himself does not honor. This is merely the partial results of an online search in one concordance in one version of the Bible. "Partial results" means verses which did not seem to apply to your question were omitted from this list.
. . . The following are some of the results of an online search (in a concordance in the OT, New King James Version) for verses containing the words "honor" and "not."
. . . Le 19:15 'You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.
. . . 2Ch 26:18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God."
. . . Pr 26:1 As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. . . .
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In Jesus' name...except baptism? |
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Col 3:17
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Here is my thought on this subject. It is one that I have studied because I asked the same question and got the same standard answers. In Mat. 28:19 we are told this:
(Mat 28:19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Then in the book of Acts, we see the Apostles baptizing people and they baptize them in Jesus name and not the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Using the Bible as my guide and not men's opinion nor doctrine. I have come to this understanding. Jesus is the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. It was in Jesus that God revealed Himself to mankind. Hebrews says,
(Heb 1:1) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
(Heb 1:2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
(Heb 1:3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Jesus is what we know of God. Everything we learn or understand about God we pretty much learned from or through Jesus. So I believe doing everything (Col. 3:17) in the name of Jesus is doing everything in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Remember also that John 14-16 says when He, the Spirit is come, he glorify Jesus, not God. So I see everything in Jesus bringing glory to God the Father. By the way, I believe in the trinity, but in God's wisdom, He chose to reveal Himself to us in Jesus, one man, His only begotten Son.
WDC |
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Predestination vs free will--a thought.. |
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Not Specified
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Just a bit of logical reasoning about the issue of "predestination" vs "free will." I've seen many who question as an either-or proposition a person's fate by God's "predestination" with a person's "free will" to determine his/her own fate. I don't think these things are contradictory and I can't help but consider how this may be applied to Jesus, himself. I mean the Bible points to the fact his fate on the cross was predetermined (See Isaiah 53:5)--God knew what would happen and gave that information to the prophets, such as Isaiah, centuries in advance--and yet, Jesus still had the free will to sacrifice himself on the cross. (See John 10:18)
So, I think the same applies to us. God KNOWS who will and will not follow Him in advance--thus, in that sense our fates are predestined--but, the choice is still ours to freely make, just as it was with Jesus.
Would anyone else like to comment on this? |
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Predestination vs free will--a thought.. |
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Bible general Archive 1
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Just a bit of logical reasoning about the issue of "predestination" vs "free will." I've seen many who question as an either-or proposition a person's fate by God's "predestination" with a person's "free will" to determine his/her own fate. I don't think these things are contradictory and I can't help but consider how this may be applied to Jesus, himself. I mean the Bible points to the fact his fate on the cross was predetermined (See Isaiah 53:5)--God knew what would happen and gave that information to the prophets, such as Isaiah, centuries in advance--and yet, Jesus still had the free will to sacrifice himself on the cross. (See John 10:18)
So, I think the same applies to us. God KNOWS who will and will not follow Him in advance--thus, in that sense our fates are predestined--but, the choice is still ours to freely make, just as it was with Jesus.
Would anyone else like to comment on this? |
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Predestination vs free will--a thought.. |
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Bible general Archive 1
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I couldn't agree with you more!
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Is Jesus God? |
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John 1:1
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Your question: Can anyone show me any passages that show that Jesus is God?
. . . The following outline is taken from Baker Topical Guide to the Bible, Walter A. Elwell, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1991), ISBN 0-8010-2255-X, pp. 88-106. The Scripture references are far too numerous to include here. Also, if your friend is sincere, I would suggest he read (without the accompanying interpretation of The Watchtower organization) the entire New Testament, particularly the Gospel of John and the other gospels. As to your friend's unbelief, as Jesus said in Luke 16:31: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead." Likewise, if they do not listen to Jesus Himself (the Gospels) and the Apostles (NT Epistles), they wouldn't believe if they were eyewitnesses to Jesus' resurrection.
Here is my answer.
The Deity of Christ.
...A. Jesus' Claims to Deity.
. . . 1. Claims Relating to God.
. . . a) Jesus Claimed Equality with God. Matt 10:40; Matt 11; Matt 28; John 3; 5; 6; 8; 10; 12; 14; 15; 16; 17.
. . . b) Jesus Claimed the Rights of God.
. . . (1) Jesus Claimed to Forgive Sins.
. . . (2) Jesus Claimed to Give Life.
. . . (3) Jesus Claimed to Judge.
. . . (4) Jesus Claimed to Grant Spiritual Blessings.
. . . (5) Jesus Did Miracles.
. . . (6) Jesus Cleansed the Temple.
. . . (7) Jesus Claimed to Establish God's Kingdom.
. . . (8) Jesus Exorcised Demons.
. . . (9) Jesus Claimed to Defeat Satan.
. . . (10) Jesus Claimed to Be Lord of the Sabbath.
. . . (11) Jesus Claimed to Be David's Lord.
. . . c) Jesus Claimed the Authority of God.
. . . d) Jesus Described Himself as God's Counterpart on Earth.
. . . e) Jesus Accepted Prayer, Praise and Worship.
. . . f) Jesus Found the Source of Power within Himself.
. . . g) Jesus Never Showed Any Consciousness of Sin.
. . . 2. Claims Relating to Human Beings.
. . . a) Jesus Promised Peace and Rest to Those Who Trust Him.
. . . b) Jesus Claimed Power over All Life, Space, and Time.
. . . c) Jesus Claimed to Determine People's Eternal Destiny.
. . . d) Jesus Claimed Final Authority over People.
. . . 3. Claims Relating to Jesus' Mission.
. . . a) Jesus Came to Be People's Savior.
. . . b) Jesus Came to Make God Known.
. . . c) Jesus Came to Sum Up the Entire OT.
B. NT Claims to Jesus' Deity.
. . . 1. Jesus Is Considered Equal with God. Acts 2; 1 Cor 1; 12; 13; Eph 4; 6; Phil 2:6; Col 1; 2; 3; 1 Thess 3; 2 Thess 2; 1 John 2; 1 John 5; Rev 20; Rev 22.
. . . 2. Jesus Possesses God's Attributes. E.g., Omnipotence; Omnipresence; Omniscience; etc.
. . . 3. Jesus Does the Work of God.
. . . a) God's Work Related to the Created Order.
. . . b) God's Work Related to Mankind.
. . . c) God's Work Related to the Problem of Sin.
. . . d) God's Work Related to Believers.
. . . e) God's Work Related to Scripture.
. . . 4. Jesus Is Identified with God.
. . . 5. Jesus Is Paralleled with God.
. . . 6. Jesus Is Assigned OT Designations of God.
. . . 7. Jesus Is Superior to Men and Angels.
. . . 8. Jesus Receives Prayer, Praise, and Worship.
. . . C. The Sinlessness of Jesus.
. . . D. The Glory of Christ.
. . . E. The Resurrection of Christ.
. . . F. The Exaltation of Christ. |
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What is the point? |
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1 Thessalonians
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Dear EveryHome, Opening up my mail just prior to bedtime is terrible! I read your answer with great interest. Though I 'abstain' from any capital 'X' label, I appreciate your Arminian views. I also believe in the possibility of apostacy, but I don't believe it is very easy. Overall, I must say that I think you are giving Satan more power than he has been given. I think this has always been the case. As a master of deceit, his most powerful weapon is that of confusing and frightening God's people. I stand by my statement that study of God's end-time plan is fine, and 'seeing through' the false prophets and false 'christs' is necessary, but submitting to sensationalism is definitely not productive. It does seem to me that some of these 'false christs' will use the 'rapture' for their purposes. A good end-time teaching will give you the ability to prepare for the coming of Jesus where you are. When they teach you to 'come over here,' I am wary. "...I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12 NASB I am certain that God would not allow Satan to put us through a tribulation that we could not stand.
So...live in Christ Jesus.
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What is the point? |
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1 Thessalonians
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Matthew 24:24.
Dear EveryHome:
I quote from your message:
. . . "The church will enter that period unprepared, spiritually naked, vulnerable, and ripe for the Antichrist's deception. . . .
. . . if what the church has been taught… no persecution… no tribulation… straight to heaven on a cloud… turns out to be incorrect… then apostasy will bloom. It will become very easy to doubt the Word of God (as you were taught it) if you are a pretriber . . ."
. . . Your comments seem to contradict Matt 24:24, where it says:
. . . Matt 24:24 (KJV) "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
. . . The key phrase here is "if it were possible."
. . . (See also John 6:37; Rom 8:28) |
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No hope for unity of faith? |
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Hebrews
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Is there no hope for unity of faith? My esteemed (esteamed? :-) colleagues, I believe there is one possibility. Many years ago a present-day prophet spoke over me that I was a dreamer, but my dreams would come to pass. I envision a day when the Lord does bring us together, maybe even before His glorious return. I agree that this cannot be done by the present system of church organization. (or should I say division?) An appropriate scripture might be, "'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 3:6-4:10 Now I understand that these are commonly considered post-return scriptures, but I am not quite done. Paul spoke as if there was a method to bring us together. "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift... And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ...from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:7-16 NASB I read here that just maybe the Lord is able to bring us together by adherence to His original plan of church leadership. I am not suggesting a 'super denomination.' This was not His intent. I am speaking of a simpler situation in which each local church serves the Lord autonomously with some (limited) spiritual oversight from the above ministers. As I said, it is a dream, not something I have 'worked out.' Though difficult to imagine, I believe the Bible says it is possible, AND better than what we have now. I cannot believe that our differences 'will never cease.' (kind of defeatist, don't you think?) I welcome comments. In Jesus |
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What is the point? |
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1 Thessalonians
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Dear JVH0212...In the KJV Matthew 24:24 the words "if it" are italicized. I think a clearer translation of the verse is..."For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. Matt 24:24 (NLT)... John 6:37 says Jesus will never reject us... not that apostasy is not possible. Likwise, Romans 8:28 is speaking... "of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (NLT)... not to those who are about to become apostate. Please understand that I am speaking from an Arminian perspective, which in addition to personally believing is correct, I think it is best supported by Scripture. Therefore... would you be so kind as to comment on the following Scriptures from your perspective: "Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." John 15:6 (NLT) "Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind to you as you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off." Romans 11:22 (NLT) "For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were once enlightened--those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come-- and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people to repentance again because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to public shame.Heb 6:4-6 (NLT) Thanks for your response. Let's talk more. Blessings to you!
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5-fold, what do they DO? |
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Hebrews
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Amen! EveryHome. I did not expand my thoughts regarding the exhortations in Ephesians 4, but if you don't mind, I will here. The question about these 'five-fold' ministers is not how we 'translate' their Ministry into modern language, but ask, "What do they DO?" An apostle is a "...person(s) sent out by churches on special errands..." Ungers Bible Dictionary. He is a servant between churches. NOT a 'capital"A"' Apostle, a boss, a ruler, or the top of the ladder. The servant part goes for all ministries in the church. Prophets should prophesy God's relevant, living word to those God sends him to. Evangelists should bring forth the Good News, not just to the unsaved, but to those who have not yet become able to live it. Pastors should shepherd the flock, and I mean KNOW them. Teachers should teach the things of God, not just Sunday School, but wherever God sends them. I do believe that when the above ministry returns to the church, we will be closer to the unity of the faith. Friend, I agree that this is happening in many places. And I know that there are many, many servants in His church in America, but it is obvious to this 'outsider' that the church is full of arrogant 'ladder-climbers' and seekers of fame and fortune 'for the glory of God.' Recognizing these 'false' teachers and prophets will bring simplicity and humility and unity to the church.
In case you haven't noticed, I preach about 'spiritual unity' now and then :-)
In Christ Jesus. |
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Who is the Bride of Christ? |
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Revelation
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Jesus Christ refered to the faithful church as his bride in the New Testament.
The Old Testament prophets (including John the Baptist), the tribulation martyrs, and the hosts of Heaven are the guests of the bridegroom. |
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5-fold, what do they DO? |
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Hebrews
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Wonderfull that is what we are to do unity, ? are all prophets are all apostles, rhetorical it demands an answer. Jesus said in Luke 16:16 the law and the prophets were until john the baptist.Now the office of a prophet exhorts , lifts up and edifys the flock of God. there are only 12 apostles Rev 21:14 names of them the twelve apostles, remember for no other foundation can any man lay. love in Christ rcscroll Th.M |
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0-fold ministry? |
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Hebrews
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Dear rcscroll, Then Paul was saying what? 3-fold ministry? Paul called himself an apostle 16 times, so he was at least number 14 after Matthias. Then there was Barnabas, Andronicus, Junias, and James, the Lord's brother. Jesus was a prophet after John the baptist. In Acts 15, Judas and Silas are called prophets, and Paul speaks of prophets and prophecy as for the church in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians. Shall we also do away with 'pastors,' as the word only occurs once? 'Evangelist' comes up three times, and 'teacher' as a ministry only twice. You see, my friend, you cannot legitimatize ministry based on your own traditions. All five ministries are listed for a reason, and I think all are 'under-utilized.' As a matter of fact, many spiritual gifts (ministries are gifts) are misunderstood and 'under-utilized.' I believe that many today shun or disregard the spiritual gifts because they focus on the abuses. I will be the first to admit that these gifts are misused, abused and sometimes just plain false. However, I have witnessed these spiritual gifts being used in an orderly manner, bestowing blessing and guidance, edifying the church, and lifting high the name of Jesus. Would you also deny miracles, healing, and guidance by the Holy Spirit? Yes, indeed, these will help in our pursuit of unity. Obviously, knowledge and scholarship have not led us to unity, yet. I understand a dearth of balance these days, on both sides, but to do away with some of our most powerful weapons is unwise. Peace to you in Christ Jesus. |
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Should Paul haver gone to Jerusalem? |
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Acts
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yes he should have because when he was first saved the Lord jesus said that He would show paul the things he must "suffer for My sake."it is like when the prophet tied the belt around himself and cried "this is what will happen..." and paul jumped at it even going to rome and having a ship wreck. do you know why he didnt rebuke the storm? because an angel appeared before hand and told him what would happen.so he left it all to God. because he knew it to be the will of Jesus.
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What makes John the Baptist greater ? |
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Luke 7:27
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John the Baptist was an important vehicle for the kingdom of God for he introduced the people to the Lamb of God. But they didn't come out to see John but they came to see the Prophet, Jesus. Luke 7:27 "This is the One about whom it is written, 'Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.' (The capital 'O' is my interpretation, apologies to anyone who knows me).
Could Jesus have gone on to say that anyone who is least in My kingdom is greater than he? I think so. rvh
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What makes John the Baptist greater ? |
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Luke 7:27
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1 Peter 1:10-12, 17-21 and Col 1:26-2:3
This is probably one of those "hard sayings of Jesus" in the book by the same name. I don't have it in front of me (and don't remember exactly what that author(s) wrote about this, but I would strongly recommend the book as a reference (particularly for questions of this type) I believe F.F. Bruce is the writer, but there is a series of "Hard Sayings" books by several solid authors.
Anyway, one sense in which I believe John the Baptist would be considered "greater" than all previous prophets and saints was that he was able to look into the fulfilment of his prophecies and understand the identity of the Messiah that he was proclaiming (at least to a certain degree). John recognized Jesus when the Holy Spirit descended on him (although he had some uncertainty later), but the prophets of the Old Testament longed to look into the secrets they were foretelling about the Messiah and the salvation of Israel and the nations; those secrets were hidden until their revelation in Jesus the Christ. All believers who came after him have access to these (but not all) mysteries and can thus more fully rejoice (in this life) in the hope and salvation that God has given us. (See 1 Peter 1 and Colossians 1.) |
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