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Hello;
Heavyweight evangelists like Billy Graham and Luis Palau usually preached lengthy sermons during their crusades; which wasn't a bad method considering their venues. But here on an internet forum, I think we can better serve a world-wide public with concise messages that cut to the chase, so to speak, viz: strive to present our material with an economy of words.
Buen Camino
(Pleasant Journey)
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● John 3:14-17 . . As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
The incident to which Christ referred is located at Num 21:5-9.
Long story short: Moses' people became weary of eating manna all the time at every meal. But instead of courteously, and diplomatically, petitioning their divine benefactor for a different diet, they became indignant and confrontational; angrily demanding better accommodations.
In response to their insolence, and their ingratitude for His providence; God sent a swarm of deadly poisonous vipers among them; which began striking people; and every strike was 100% fatal, no exceptions.
After a number of people died, the rest came to their senses and begged Moses to intercede. In reply; The Lord instructed Moses to fashion a replica of the vipers and hoist it up on a pole in plain view so that everyone dying from venom could look to it for relief.
The key issue here is that the replica was the only God-given remedy for the people's bites-- not sacrifices and offerings, not tithing, not church attendance, not scapulars, not confession, not holy days of obligation, not the Sabbath, not rosaries, not weeping, not the golden rule, not charity, not Bible study and/or Sunday school, not self denial, not vows of poverty, not the Ten Commandments, nor even one's ideology of choice, i.e. it wouldn't have mattered whether somebody was Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Baha'i, Atheist, Agnostic, Pagan, or whatever-- the replica was it; nothing else would suffice to save their lives.
As an allegory, the replica speaks of Christ's crucifixion for the sins of the world as the only God-given rescue from the wrath of God; and when people accept it, then according to John 3:14-17 and John 5:24, they qualify for a transfer from death into life. Those who reject his crucifixion as the only God-given rescue from the sum of all fears, are already on the docket to face it.
● John 3:18 . .Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
I recommend finding a quiet place; anywhere will do. Cover you face with your hands for a sense of connection, and tell God you have never yet measured up to His standards and you're pretty sure you never will. Tell Him you would like to take advantage of His son's death; and thank Him for His time.
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The Sermon On The Mount isn't something to be admired; no, it's something to be feared because according to Christ, failure to comply with his instructions will result in one's ruin.
● Matt 7:26-27 . . Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house; and it collapsed and was completely ruined.
As for those who know the Sermon, it will be used against them.
● John 12:48 . . He who rejects me, and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him: the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day; because I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father himself who sent me has given me commandment, what to say, and what to speak.
In other words; Jesus' sermon channels the voice of God.
● Heb 1:1-2 . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His son
God offered humanity His own son's life and safety to atone for their failure to fully comply with Jesus' sermon; and would appreciate an RSVP to let Him know they want in on the benefit. Of course if folks consider themselves pious enough to skip the cross, well more power to them, but I highly recommend they take God up on His offer just in case their estimation proves faulty; especially seeing as the Bible says no one yet has measured up to His own personal standards.
● Rom 3:23 . . All . . . fall short of the glory of God.
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It occurred to me some years ago, that even if I were to behave myself sufficiently in this life to get into Heaven; I seriously doubted I could keep it up forever. Sooner or later my true colors would show themselves and I'd likely get the boot. I thought to myself: if only holiness were as natural to me it is for Jesus, instead of such an effort, then my chances would be greatly improved.
And then one day, I ran across a passage in the prophecy of Ezekiel that really caught my attention. It goes like this:
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them". (36:26-27)
God made that promise to His people the Jews. Well; I began wondering if maybe me, a non Jew, could somehow get in on some of that too because its benefits are definitely very appealing to a guy whose piety, on his own, will never amount to anything better than unsatisfactory.
** The year was 1967 when I was only 23; today I'm 79 going on 80. As it turned out, 23 was an excellent time of life to begin giving serious thought to my afterlife prospects.
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A forgiven sinner is still sinful, and they'll go right on sinning same as before and thus needing forgiveness again and again ad infinitum.
● Jer 13:23 . . Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
Well; in light of the passage above, it's certainly no surprise to me that people need to upgrade the very core of their being so that they can, by nature, be the children of Heaven in the future rather than remain the children of Hell that they are now.
● John 3:7 . . You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.
We're not looking at a liturgical ritual in that verse, rather, a supernatural action performed by the hand of God just as humanity's original creation was an act of God. Well; I strongly urge folks to speak with God about getting in on this particular benefit especially seeing as how it's required rather than optional.
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The passage below is deliberately misquoted. Watch for the revision.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son in order to save the world and give everyone everlasting life."
Well; the thing is: not everyone will be spared the wrath of God via Jesus' crucifixion because the benefit is limited to believers.
● John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
● John 5:24 . . I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
● 1Cor 1:21 . . He has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe.
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● Rev 20:12 . . And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened . . . and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Ideally the pages for each of us in those books will be blank; that way we'll be free to go because there would be nothing listed therein with which to charge us and it will appear as though we have never been anything but 100% innocent our entire lives. Many of us have a lot to answer for, but God has made a way to get it all wiped.
● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
The Greek word translated "justification" in that passage means acquittal; roughly defined as an adjudication of innocence due to lack of sufficient evidence to convict, viz: exoneration. In other words: God closes the believer's case and it's never reopened-- not because it's a cold case, but because all charges against them were transferred to Christ.
● Isa 53:6 . .We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them
● Rom 8:33-34 . .Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns; Christ Jesus, who died?
If you out there believe God had you in mind when Jesus went to the cross, and are confident his crucified dead body was restored to life; then RSVP God and let Him know you want in on this remarkable benefit because you definitely do not want your sins following you over into the next life.
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Humanity was created in the image and likeness of God. So then, I think we can safely assume that humanity came packaged with a sense of responsibility, viz: a conscience.
But I remember what I told you;
That in time you're gonna pay.
"Funny How Time Slips Away"
Willie Nelson, Billy Walker, 1961
That song is correct about the ex girlfriend, but the singer neglects to take into account his own responsibility.
There are folks out in the world who've never once heard and/or been taught a single thing about the laws of God, but that doesn't let them off the hook because no matter how faulty nor how reliable their sense of responsibility might be, they will be held accountable for how much, and/or how little, they let their conscience be their guide.
● Rom 2:14-16 . . Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Now although retribution for uninformed folks will be lighter than those who know better, they will still have to undergo some penalties.
● Luke 12:47-48 . .That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Anyway, point being: we needn't fret that uninformed folks throughout the world won't get a fair shake.
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POSIT: I'm special; God understands me. Although He probably may not let others off; I'm sure God will make an exception for me because I'm not like other people; I'm different.
REPLY: Unfortunately, the Bible's God can't do that. If He were to make exceptions, God would be neither equitable, nor honest-- and worse, it would go against His grain, compromise His integrity, sin against His conscience; and cause Him to lose the world's respect.
No, God doesn't grade on a curve: everyone is treated equally in God's courtroom. In a system of divine absolutes; there is neither a curve nor an exception: nobody gets any favors, nobody is special, and nobody is a protected species.
● Deut 10:17 . . Jehovah shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
● Acts 10:34 . .Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God is impartial.
● Rom 2:5-11 . . For there is coming a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.
. . . But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth; and practice evil deeds. There will be anguish and calamity for everyone who practices evil-- for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all practice good --for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
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Heaven's criminal justice system requires life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, burning for burning, hand for hand, foot for foot, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
Where does that leave people like Ted Kaczynski who killed and/or maimed 26 people with homemade bombs; or Stephen Paddock who indiscriminately sprayed a music concert in Las Vegas with a rifle equipped with a bump stock resulting in 471 dead and/or wounded; and the school shooters and serial killers that are in and out of the news from time to time? How are those murderers supposed to balance the scales of justice for all the illegal deaths they've caused?
Well; the fact of the matter is: they can't balance the scales because they simply don't have enough lives of their own with which to atone for their victims' lives.
This makes me suspect that suffering in the afterlife isn't uniform, i.e. there's one Hell, but its circumstances may be something akin to the nine levels of Inferno in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Wouldn't that be something?
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● Rom 6:23 . .The wages of sin is death
That rule is very serious because in the final analysis, every sin is a capital offense and, at most, people have only two lives to forfeit for sin-- the life they have now, and the one they'll have later at their resurrection. But unfortunately, their current life has already been forfeited due to Adam's disobedience in the matter of the forbidden fruit so they can't use this life to atone for any of their own disobedience.
And when they're resurrected to stand trial at the Great White Throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15; that'll be their last life because according to Dan 12:2 and John 5:28-29 there's only one resurrection allotted per person.
That's at least one of the reasons why no one is coming back from the second death depicted at Rev 20:11-15
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FAQ: What might Hell's culture be like?
REPLY: Seeing as how nobody down there has any more reason to be civil, then I think new arrivals can expect to be ill treated in that world.
Also, folks down there are deprived of the regeneration spoken of per John 3:3-8 so they are there as they were here. Well; human nature tends to deteriorate, sort of like the decay experienced by road kill and spoiled fruits and vegetables. I'd expect that the lost get badder and badder and badder as time goes on so that even a saint like Mother Teresa would eventually become so evil that her conduct in Hell would be disturbing to behold.
And then; according to Matt 7:21-23, not everyone talking the talk will make the cut.
Well; I would not want to be one of them because they will surely be mocked cruelly and without mercy by some of the netherworld's unruly crowd. I can just hear their giggling and their taunts:
Hey Christian! How's about sharing the gospel with us ay? Tell us about the love of God and how that's working for ya. Awwwww-Haw-Haw-Haw- Hawwwwwwwww!
I'd rather end up in Hell as a Bernie Madoff than a failed Christian because ol' ponzi schemer Bernie is sure to be given far more respect down there than a bible thumper.
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When people neglect to think about the hereafter; they become like a frog boiled alive by starting it out in cold water.
● Mark 4:3-19 . . Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: and some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. These are they such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Well, hello there.
My, it's been a long, long time.
How am I doing?
Oh, I guess that I'm doing fine
It's been so long now,
But it seems now that it was only yesterday.
Gee, ain't it funny
How time slips away?
(Billy Walker, 1961)
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● Ps 115:17-18 . .The dead do not praise The Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.
The first "dead" in that verse are not yet deceased but might just as well be seeing as how their attitude towards God lacks reverence.
"any who go down into silence" are the dead who've passed on. Well; they're no different down below than when up here on the surface, i.e. they're still irreverent.
The wrong side of the netherworld is likely pretty noisy, but communication with God is impossible. The Bible says to call upon God while He is near. Well, there comes a time for the dead when God is too distant, i.e. He's permanently estranged. That's a kind of silence that no one should take lightly.
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I think most folks would agree that monsters like Kim Jong-Un, Xi Jinping, Robert Mugabe, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, human traffickers, and drug cartel kingpins belong in Hell; but why are decent folk down there?
Well; obviously humanity's moral compass points to a different north than their maker's, viz: sometimes what's tolerable in human reasoning is unacceptable to God. Why is that?
In the beginning; humanity was created with a conscience patterned after its maker's conscience.
"And God said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Gen 1:26-27)
Then came the forbidden fruit incident, wherein humanity's conscience lost its innocence and became humanistic.
Then the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. (Gen 3:22)
In other words; Man became a tin God conducting himself in accord with his own moral values.
** There's a humorous scene in Dante's Inferno where these two guys who knew each other in life are quarreling over who deserves Hell more than the other; which is pretty silly when it's considered that both were condemned to the same level down there. For example: a number of elitist Christians are far more tolerable of dishonesty than they are of LGBTQ yet both the liar and the deviant are on track for the very same fate. (Rev 21:8)
I suspect that quite a few folks sincerely believe God has made a big mistake sending them down there. In their judicious estimation; others deserve it for sure, but not themselves.
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FAQ: Was Adam's disobedience a Hell-worthy transgression?
REPLY: No. According to Gen 2:17 it was a death-worthy transgression rather than Hell-worthy. In other words; the proper penalty for Adam's mistake was simply his loss of immortality; and of course loss of access to the tree of life to make sure he'd die. (Gen 3:22-24) Now as for Adam's later sins; that's another story.
FAQ: Did Jesus' virgin conception insulate him from Adam's fall?
REPLY: According to Romans 5:12-21 the so-called original sin isn't inherited, rather; it's imputed; and it isn't imputed to each in his own time, but was imputed to all in real time. In other words: the moment Adam tasted the forbidden fruit his entire posterity was doomed to mortality right then and there: no delay and no waiting period.
The thing is: although Jesus wasn't biologically related to Joseph, he was biologically related to his mother, and she in turn was biologically related to Eve who was constructed top to bottom, inside and out, front to back, and side to side with material taken from Adam's body; thus making Jesus a legitimate member of Adam's posterity. So then; had Jesus not died on the cross, he would've eventually died of some other cause because The Word per John 1:1-3 didn't come into the world per John 1:14 as divine flesh, rather, as ordinary Jewish flesh. (Gen 49:10, Rom 1:3, and Rom 8:3)
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: NyawehNyoh Thu Nov 16, 2023 - 10:35:07~
Hello;
Heavyweight evangelists like Billy Graham and Luis Palau usually preached lengthy sermons during their crusades; which wasn't a bad method considering their venues. But here on an internet forum, I think we can better serve a world-wide public with concise messages that cut to the chase, so to speak, viz: strive to present our material with an economy of words.
Buen Camino
(Pleasant Journey)
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Are your 14 replies what you are calling "concise messages that cut to the chase"?
rofl rofl rofl
: NyawehNyoh Mon Nov 27, 2023 - 19:39:41might Hell's culture be like?
Seeing as how nobody down there has any more reason to be civil, then I think new arrivals can expect to be ill treated in that world.
That is entirely conjecture, and IMO based on a false assumption: that anyone is not in enough pain to actually construct a "culture." Hell is infinite pain, body soul and spirit, beyond the capability of anyone to withstand. IOW if God does not hold us together there for eternity, we would instantly vaporize. And if you do not believe God is in hell:
Psalm 139:8
If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold,
You are there.
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● Eph 2:2-3 . . As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
It's believed by a pretty large percentage of modern Christians that the sinful nature spoken of in that Ephesians passage is propagated by men. Oh? From whence did Eve get it?
She was already alive and fully constructed with material taken from Adam's body prior to the forbidden fruit incident. Since himself tasted the fruit after his wife was already in existence; then it was impossible for Adam to pass the fallen nature to her via reproduction.
In the past, I was sure that the chemistry of the forbidden fruit had something to do with the first couple's altered moral perception; but now I seriously doubt it because Eve was the first to eat the fruit, and when she did, nothing happened. She remained just as shameless in the buff as before. It wasn't till Adam tasted the fruit that she began to feel exposed; so I'm pretty sure that the underlying cause is far more serious than the chemistry of that fruit.
If Eve's fallen condition wasn't due to the fruit, nor due to Adam's body, then what? Well; obviously the Serpent did it to them, a.k.a. the Devil (Rev 20:2)
The ruler of the kingdom of the air-- i.e. the spirit world --has the power of death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the human body and the human mind in ways not easily detected; e.g. Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and Eph 2:2.
The Serpent was apparently all set and ready to wield his power the moment that Adam crossed the line and ate that fruit. It amazes me how quickly it takes effect. Not long after Adam tasted the fruit, he and his wife both immediately set to work cobbling together some rudimentary aprons to cover up their pelvic areas.
This power of death allowed the Devil is apparently so binding that it could be overturned only by Christ's crucifixion.
● John 12:31-33 . . Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
● Heb 2:14 . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death; that is: the Devil.
That is at least one good reason why folks need to RSVP God about His son's crucifixion to avoid leaving this life under the Devil's supervision. They've got to get that arrangement dissolved now, while an opportunity for liberty is on the table.
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Consider a Jewish man; he's undergone circumcision the eighth day as required, and successfully completed Bar Mitzvah. From that point on he is obligated to comply with the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God on oath per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Now supposing that same Jewish man begins to have second thoughts about the covenant and thinks maybe he would like to try something else. Well; he is not at liberty to just up and walk away from the covenant; no, not when he is very likely indebted to it via one or more of the curses listed at Lev 26:14 39, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:15-68. Those curses have to be satisfied first before he can even surmise himself free to transfer his affections to another religion. However; if that man would like; Christ can do it all for him.
● Isa 53:6 . .We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
● Gal 3:13 . . . Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
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The disturbing scene depicted at Rev 20:11-15 will be presided over by none other than the sweet little babe away in a manger.
● John 5:21-23 . . Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son
● Acts 17:31 . . He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.
Misogyny was given quite a bit of negative press during former US President Trump's administration; while misandry was condoned as if acceptable. But malice is unacceptable with God on any level; and I think we have to accept the possibility that there are just as many, if not more, man haters on the wrong side of the netherworld as there are woman haters.
● Rom 2:9-11. .There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: For God does not show favoritism.
Women are not a protected species with God; nor is their gender a mitigating factor. They will be judged solely on the basis of their lives just the same as men.
● Rev 20:12-15 . . I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. . . And whosoever's name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
** I would really hate to be a woman infected with militant misandry because in the end, it will be a man that casts angry women into the lake of fire and permanently ruining any chances they might have had for happiness in the future. For all eternity, condemned man haters will grind their teeth with hot tears and white knuckled fury that they ultimately lost out on everything because of one lone male's obsessive control over their lives.
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Some years ago, a two-bit substitute Sunday school teacher wasted the hour by sitting us thru a Hollywood movie based upon the life of Joseph. At the conclusion of the "show" I raised my hand and asked the teacher if he thought Joseph was born again.
The man's reaction was not good as his mind instantly went into oscillating vapor lock trying to understand what I meant. He was baffled by my question.
Well, I explained; Jesus said that no one can enter the kingdom of God sans the Spirit birth he spoke of at John 3:3-7. The language and grammar of his statement strongly suggests there are no exceptions, viz: it isn't optional, rather, it's mandatory-- not just mandatory for some, but for everyone.
One day I asked an experienced Jehovah's Witness if he was born of the Spirit. He answered no, and added that he did not expect to undergo a Spirit birth in either this life or the next because his hope isn't in Heaven.
The JW was somehow unaware that Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus wasn't about things in Heaven, rather, things on Earth.
● John 3:12 . . . If I have told you earthly things and yet you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
In other words: the kingdom of God, and the Spirit birth requirement, pertain to Messiah's theocratic kingdom down here on the ground rather than the supreme being's celestial kingdom up in the sky.
It's both tragic and ironic that the Watchtower Society's rank and file missionaries go worldwide advertising a kingdom that they themselves will never be allowed to enter: not because they didn't work hard enough to deserve it, but simply because they were led to believe themselves exempt from the Spirit-birth requirement.
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The love that God extends to mankind in general per John 3:16 is a nondescript love that anybody can practice because it's merely benevolence, e.g. kindness, sympathy, generosity, tolerance, charity, courtesy, and keeping a civil tongue in one's head.
The love that God extends to His son's friends per John 16:27 goes beyond benevolence. It's an emotional love that expresses itself in feelings like fondness and affection.
The love per John 3:16 is typically extended without passion or prejudice; whereas that of John 16:17 mirrors 1Sam 18:1 & 2Sam 1:26.
I grew up in a dysfunctional home. Consequently the thought of God actually liking me, instead of only tolerating me as a nuisance and/or an inconvenience, is nigh unto impossible for me to comprehend.
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● 1Tim 5:24-25 . . Some people lead sinful lives, and everyone knows they will be judged. But there are others whose sin won't be revealed until later.
Some folks are so shamelessly, unabashedly, outrageously, and defiantly wicked that there's no doubt in any rational person's mind that those kinds of people are headed into really big trouble down the road. Whereas others haven't a clue that not only will their good conduct be evaluated for flaws, but so will their sensibilities; which are typically influenced by customs and culture rather than molded into suitable condition by the supreme of all beings.
I think it can go without saying that some very decent folks are going to be very surprised to discover that many of their concepts relative to good and evil were evil quite often and they didn't know it.
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FAQ: Was it really necessary to restore Jesus' crucified dead body to life? Why couldn't it remain deceased and him taken Heaven in spirit form?
REPLY: Jesus' crucifixion was an adequate atonement for people's sins, but by itself wasn't enough for obtaining exoneration.
● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was restored to life for our justification.
The Greek word translated "justification" basically means acquittal; defined as an adjudication of innocence.
People merely forgiven still carry a load of guilt; viz: they have a criminal record. The resurrection of Christ's crucified dead body allows God to wipe their records clean so that on the books, it's as though they've never been anything but 100% innocent so that when the books are opened per Rev 20:11-15 there will be nothing found in them with which folks may be accused.
● 1Cor 15:17 . . If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
This clearing of one's guilt that I'm talking about is obtained via the kindness and generosity of God through belief in the resurrection of Christ's crucified dead body. If the Devil can succeed in convincing people that Jesus' crucified body is still dead or, even better yet, make them question whether the man even existed at all; then they will fail to obtain an acquittal, and consequently end up coming out on the wrong side of things.
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● Matt 6:33 . . But seek first . . . . His righteousness,
The righteousness of God is humanly impossible to obtain because He's set the bar too high.
● Rom 3:23 . . For all . . . come short of the glory of God.
In other words: God has made His own personal sinless perfection the standard by which everyone is evaluated. Obviously then; no one among the Jews or the Gentiles-- except for Christ --has ever, nor will ever, measure up; not even the holiest people that one can imagine, e.g. Noah, Daniel, or Job; and those were some very righteous guys. (Ezek 14:12-20)
The thing is: Christ's crucifixion and resurrection satisfies justice for people's sins, and gives them a rating of innocence and exoneration that they could never in a million years attain on their own. But if the plan of salvation were to be wrapped at that point, they would still be short of the glory of God, viz: the ultimate goal of salvation is God's own personal sinless perfection which, again, is something that people could never in a million years attain on their own.
Now with justice satisfied and out of the way by means of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection; the supreme being is at liberty to become extremely benevolent with a remarkable act of God that when fully completed will equip folks with a personal sinless perfection comparable to His own.
● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (cf. Ezek 36:24-27)
I think it can be agreed without debating that divine nature is a whole lots better to work with than human nature.
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Jesus' crucifixion, and the subsequent resurrection of his dead body, are sometimes called substitutionary. But according to the Bible, he took people along with him into those events, which makes his crucifixion and resurrection joint actions wherein his believing followers participated.
● Rom 6:3 . .Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
● Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him
● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ
● Col 3:1-4 . . For you died when Christ died
● Rom 6:4-5 . .We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection
● Eph 2:6 . . God raised us up with Christ
● Col 2:12 . . Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
It's no doubt possible to allegorize the above passages, but I strongly suggest taking them as-is. I don't know how God went about making Jesus' followers joint principals in his crucifixion and resurrection, but then to this day I still haven't a clue yet how God went about making Adam's posterity joint principals in the forbidden fruit incident per Rom 5:12-21.
There is an obvious benefit to all this. Jesus went to the cross bearing guilt, but was restored to life without guilt (Rom 6:10-11). So then, all those unified with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection are also back from the dead without guilt, i.e. they came back with him 100% innocent.
● Rom 8:34 . .Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us.
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● Heb 4:14-16 . .Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are; yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with frankness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Now the thing is: the high priest in Heaven despises rote. So it would be wise to put prayer books away in storage, step away from the Wailing Wall, and voice one's concerns from the heart with free, candid, forthright, and sincere expression because frankness stresses lack of shyness or secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience; ergo: frankness implies transparency, i.e. unbridled freedom of speech and the liberty to speak your mind without fear of ridicule, shame, disgrace, retribution, or retaliation, viz: with Messiah on the job, people may speak to Heaven just as we'd speak with their wives and/or their best friends, like this:
"Come now, let us discuss this-- says The Lord. No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool." (Isa 1:18)
That promise is just as good today as it was back in Isaiah's day; made possible by Jesus' crucifixion.
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)
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FAQ: Isn't Judaism equally as useful as Christianity for sinners seeking God's forgiveness? Isn't that the whole purpose of Yom Kippur, a.k.a. the Day of Atonement?
REPLY: Pinning one's hopes on the Day Of Atonement is futile. For one thing: there's no one to perform the ritual seeing as how there is neither a Temple nor a fully functioning Aaronic high priest on duty in Jerusalem at this time. In point of fact, neither of those two essential elements of the Day of Atonement have been in Jerusalem since 70 AD. But that's not the worst of it.
The original sacrificial system was effective-- to a point --for addressing the peoples' actions, and for sanitizing their bodies, but totally ineffective for addressing the people themselves, viz: their persons, the core of their being.
For example: when Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, his perception of decency underwent a radical change. Whereas before, he was comfortable seen undressed; afterwards he was uncomfortable seen naked even by his wife.
The thing is: Adam's moral compass went awry, i.e. his conscience became humanistic.
● Gen 3:22 . . And The Lord God said: The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.
In other words: Adam began looking to his own intuition for moral direction instead of looking to his maker, viz: Adam became a tin God.
Point being: none of the Levitical system's rituals address the corruption inherent within the human conscience that came about by means of the forbidden fruit incident.
● Heb 9:13-14 . .The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.
The Greek word translated "consciences" basically pertains to mental activity especially as it pertains to moral perception. So we're not talking about outwardly sinful behavior here. (cf. Rom 2:16 and Heb 4:12)
Bottom line: no matter how pious somebody becomes, they will never be completely ready for God until they avail themselves of Christ's crucifixion to atone for their defective internal mechanism that discerns between good and evil, right and wrong, and wise and unwise.
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I know of the Protestant minister asked by Audie Murphy's widow Pamela to speak at her husband's funeral. Mr. Murphy, as you may already know, was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner; but he wasn't a Christian.
In amazement, the minister asked Mrs. Murphy why she chose a Christian to speak at her husband's funeral.
Although Audie himself wasn't a Christian, Pamela was; and she explained that the Hollywood crowd would be there the day of his funeral, and having hob-nobbed with pampered celebrities during her husband's acting career, she was fully aware that many of them were rarely confronted with something serious about the afterlife.
Well; they got both barrels that day, and were very annoyed because they were expecting the usual sappy, feel-good rhetoric with which their ilk are accustomed.
Some may feel that Hell isn't an appropriate topic at a funeral. But I think that, other than Xmas and Easter, you couldn't pick a better time to bring it up, especially since Christ said that the majority ends up there.
● Ecc 7:2 . . It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of gaiety, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this seriously.
According to the Bible; not many great people are called (1Cor 1:26). If that's true, then we have to expect that the majority of the world's best and brightest achievers-- the really big names in sports, science, medicine, law, politics, technology, business, industry, religion, entertainment, and education, etc --don't, and won't, make it to safety when they pass on.
As I watched some of the splendor and pomp of President Gerald Ford's funeral back in January of 2007, I couldn't help but wonder if he was in a position to really appreciate it; as I suspect people in Hades would certainly no longer really care anymore whether they were given an unknown pauper's disposal in a City incinerator, or reverently placed in a grand tomb in the National Cemetery with world-wide television coverage.
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● Deut 27:26 . . Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.
Something that should be emphasized is that the curse is irrevocable; so it's very important to come to grips with it; and the sooner the better.
● Matt 5:18 . . For assuredly, I say to you: till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will by any means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
In other words: whoever deserves that curse is absolutely certain to get it.
In point of fact, Deut 27:26 is grammatically present tense rather than future, indicating that the curse is instant-- no delay and no waiting period. i.e. it's already on the books hanging over people's heads like a guillotine just waiting for the man in charge to give the executioner a signal to let go the rope keeping the blade in check.
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FAQ: Can you cite an Old Testament example where God approved human sacrifice?
REPLY: Yes.
● Gen 22:1-2 . . Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him: Abraham! And he said: Here I am. And He said: Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
NOTE: According to Gen 18:23-33, Abraham wasn't above challenging God's judicial sensibilities. Had the old boy seriously believed that offering his son Isaac as a burnt offering was wrong, he would've said something; in point of fact, he had three days to think about it. (Gen 22:4)
Did Abraham slay Isaac? No; but did Abraham offer Isaac? Yes.
● Gen 22:9 . .Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
The thing is: once a gift dedicated to God is placed on an altar, it's a done deal-- whether the offering is dead or alive makes no difference. In point of fact, the letter to Hebrews credits Abraham with offering his son in obedience to God's command.
● Heb 11:17 . . By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son
Had God disapproved human sacrifice, He would've stopped Abraham before Isaac was laid on the altar.
But the grand slam of all human sacrifices is located in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, which speaks of an offering fully arranged, sanctioned, and worked out by none other than "the arm of The Lord". In other words: it was a task wherein God rolled up His sleeves and really got down to business.
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● Ps 139:1-12 . . O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You know what I am going to say even before I say it.
. . . I can never escape from Your spirit. I can never get away from your presence. If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there.
. . . I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night-- but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day; darkness and light are both alike to You.
In a nutshell that's saying all the things we've done in secret-- privately, behind closed doors, and/or when we thought no one was looking --was observed, and it was noted.
● Heb 4:13 . . Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
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Eternal life is often mistaken for immortality. The two are not the same.
Immortality pertains to a supernatural body with perpetual youth.
Eternal life, on the other hand, is a spirit kind of life; which is why it's possible for people to obtain eternal life prior to obtaining immortality.
For example: Christ had eternal life all along (John 5:26, 1John 1:1-2) but according to Rom 6:9 and Rev 1:18, he didn't obtain immortality till after his crucified dead body was restored to life.
Likewise Christ's believing followers have eternal life now, today (John 5:24) but according to Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:51-53, and 1Thss 4:14-17 they won't obtain immortality until their resurrections.
The properties of eternal life are a little easier to understand when juxtaposed with natural forms of life.
Human life was created.
Eternal life wasn't created, i.e. it always was, it always is, and it always shall be.
There's a large variety of created life.
There is only one eternal life.
Human life's primary characteristic is human nature; roughly defined as the fundamental dispositions and traits of the human being.
Eternal life's primary characteristic is divine nature, roughly defined as the fundamental dispositions and traits of the supreme being.
So when the New Testament speaks of eternal life, it isn't necessarily speaking of longevity, rather; it's sometimes speaking of divinity, e.g. 2Pet 1:3-4 & 1John 1:1-2.
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Everything is a foregone conclusion with God; nothing surprises Him. God foresaw the forbidden fruit incident, He foresaw Cain and Abel, He foresaw the Flood and knew He'd regret Man's creation, He foresaw the Tower of Babel, He foresaw Sodom and Gomorrah, He foresaw the Exodus, He foresaw the Holocaust, and He has known all along who would, who will, and who won't believe in His son.
● Eph 1:3-5 . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will
In other words: there are no new believers to God. He's already foreseen every one of them back at the very beginning just as He's foreseen everything else ahead of time before it comes to pass. (Isa 46:9-10)
Ergo: if somebody's name isn't already in the lamb's book of life per Rev 20:11-15, then their name will never be in it because the book is closed; it was completed long, long ago.
NOTE: When I was a kid back in the decade of the 1950s, I asked my mom how I have free will if God already knows all my choices before I make them. Well; mom wasn't all that deep of a thinker, so she couldn't respond. But the thing is: I make my own decisions, God only foresees them, viz: He's the ultimate crystal ball, so to speak. (Ps 139:4)
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● Eph 1:4-5 . . He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will
There are important differences between adopted kids and foster kids.
The latter have no inheritance rights, they have no right to be known by a foster father's name, they have no right to a foster father's love, they have no right to address their foster father with a filial vocative like dad, pop, or papa; and they have no right to a place in his genealogy.
Plus, foster care is temporary. Older kids eventually age out of the foster system and the State ceases to assist foster fathers to continue providing for them. At 18 the older kids are legally adults in my country, and the responsibility for their providence is upon themselves. Ouch!
Adopted kids' circumstances are so, so much better. They are legally just as much an adopted father's children as his biological offspring. Ergo: adopted kids have inheritance rights, they have a right to be known by their adopted father's name, they have a right to their adopted father's love, they have a right to address their adopted father by a filial vocative, and they have a right to a place in his genealogy.
Plus, adoption is permanent. Older kids don't age out of their adopted homes so they always have a family support base to fall back on should their circumstances become difficult. (cf. Luke 15:11-24)
Not every Christian is related to God as His kin by adoption. But those in that envious position aren't left to guess at whether they are or not.
● Rom 8:15-16 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
A tragic case in point is Mother Teresa. Virtually her entire five decades as a missionary, Teresa felt not the slightest glimmer of The Lord's presence. I'm talking about 50 years. Her feelings of abandonment were so strong that she eventually began doubting there's a God out there, and if there is one, she wasn't sure He even liked her and might even be disposed to quite condemn her. That poor soul went to her death without any assurance she would be safe on the other side.
Point being: Teresa was deprived the Spirit's witness per Rom 8:16. That being so, then I must assume Teresa left this life on her own instead of in God's care.
NOTE: Abba is neither English nor Greek; it's Aramaic. The word means father, but not as an ordinary noun. Grammatically, it's a filial vocative.
When my son points me out to one of his friends at the mall and says: "That's my dad over there" then his use of "dad" simply indicates how he and I are related. But when he shouts: "Hey dad, I'm over here!" then his use of "dad" is a filial vocative because he's addressing me personally to get my attention-- same noun; different sense.
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● 1John 3:9 . .Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
1John 3:9 speaks of God's offspring. The thing is: born-again Christians are definitely not His offspring because God has only one: Christ Jesus. (John 1:14 John 1:18 John 3:16 John 3:18 1John 4:9)
And for sure; Jesus was 100% sinless. (John 8:29 2Cor 5:21 Heb 4:15 1Pet 2:22) whereas born-again Christians are not 100% sinless. (1John 1:8-10)
Born-again Christians lack Jesus' sinless perfection because they are God's handiwork rather than His offspring. (2Cor 5:17 Eph 2:10 Eph 4:24 Col 3:9-10)
In a nutshell: Jesus is God's paternal son whereas born-again Christians are His sons by means of creation and adoption.
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● Acts 17:28 . . For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said; "We are his offspring."
The Athenian poets wrote about mankind in general which, if we go back to the beginning, we see that mankind came into existence by means of creation. In other words: mankind's birth is better understood as sort of like when Geppetto constructed Pinocchio. The little wooden boy was the image and likeness of its father but wasn't the father's direct descendant.
Textual evidence indicates born-again Christians are similar to Pinocchio, viz: they are children of God by creation rather than His paternal descendants.
2Cor 5:17
Eph 2:10
Eph 4:24
Col 3:9-10
The thing is: were born-again Christians to be God's paternal descendants, they would be divine beings because like gives birth to like, i.e. were God to reproduce, He would produce Gods, viz: duplicates of Himself like as people produce duplicates of themselves. For example:
● Gen 5:3 . . And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.
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FAQ: Do animals go to Hell?
REPLY: No.
FAQ: Why not?
REPLY: Because mankind was created in the image and likeness of God whereas animals weren't.
FAQ: So?
REPLY: The image and likeness of God implies personal responsibility combined with a sense of good and evil. The animal kingdom, on the other hand, is amoral; defined as having or showing no concern about whether one's behavior is morally right or wrong.
The image and likeness of God also implies a sense of justice, i.e. an inclination to honor good by penalizing evil.
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● Luke 16:29-31 . . Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said: No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him: If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.
** The man's protest suggests that his brothers weren't exactly what we might call conscientious students of the Bible.
Anyway; I've seen a few movies relative to the so-called Rapture. They all leave out a very showy portion of that future event wherein 2,000 years of Christians will return from death to join those living so that all together can ascend to meet Christ up in the sky all at one time. We're talking about an event wherein Christians won't just vanish at the snap of the fingers like Hollywood typically portrays the Rapture, but instead the entire scene will be an activity easily observed by everyone all 'round the world as millions of Christians of all ages, races, and genders rise in the air like an Oort cloud.
I expect quite a few Christians will be taken up from interior locations like office buildings, factories, mines, garages, homes, schools, vehicles, and malls, etc. Nobody will bump their heads on the way out because, according to John 20:19 and John 20:26, He who created all things can easily manipulate the structure of solid objects to allow the human body to pass thru unimpeded.
Point being: I can't help but wonder about the effect this event is going to have upon unbelieving folk around the world who observe it; especially when 2,000 years of deceased Christians suddenly make an appearance alive. Well; I think it will make unbelievers nervous at first, but I kind of suspect it won't suffice to change their minds.
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FAQ: Atheists have plenty of logical reasons for rejecting Christianity and the Bible. What logical reasons do you have for accepting those things?
REPLY: None.
FAQ: How it is that you trust Christianity and the Bible without knowing for sure whether they're true?
REPLY: My conscience insists Christianity and the Bible are true, viz: it's an intuitive conviction that I am unable to shake off.
Why does anybody believe what they believe? Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Bahá'í, Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Judaism, Voodoo, Wiccan, Jain, Druze, Native American, etc, etc, etc. The answer? Because it grips their heart-- the core of their being --which is very different than persuading someone with logic and reasoning.
When folks are persuaded to buy into a religion by means of logic and reasoning, they can be just as easily persuaded to give it up by logic and reasoning. But someone whose heart is gripped by their religion is not easily removed regardless of how strong, how sensible, how convincing, nor how logical the opposition's argument. In point of fact, one of the prerequisites to salvation is believing with one's heart rather than one's head. (Rom 10:8-9)
FAQ: Are you suggesting people end up in Hell merely because their intuition failed to convince them that Christianity and the Bible are true?
REPLY: My personal opinion? I think atheists haven't been entirely honest. They profess very sensible reasons for rejecting religion while down deep inside they're a mite worried.
Mark Twain once said he didn't believe in an afterlife; nevertheless expected one. Twain likely meant that for humor, but it's actually a pretty realistic statement.
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● Heb 5:4-6 . . Christ did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him; "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (cf. Ps 110:4)
Melchizedek was God's high priest in Abraham's day. (Gen 14:18-20, Heb 5:10)
Mel's authority held sway in his region quite a few years prior to the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. (a.k.a. Moses' law)
The thing to note is that none of the curses listed in Moses' law are retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4 & Gal 3:17)
In a nutshell; when your high priest is patterned after Melchizedek, then you are in no danger of being cursed for failure to comply with Moses' law; which includes, but isn't limited to, the Ten Commandments.
That was quite an advantage for Mel's constituents, They were at liberty to follow God another way because they weren't covenanted with God to comply with Moses' law, and seeing as how Jesus is Christianity's Melchizedek, then his followers are at liberty to follow God another way too
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Webster's defines "penance" as an act of self-abasement, mortification, or devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin.
Extreme forms of penance include things like donning sackcloth and ashes, malnutrition, hermitage, celibacy, walking around with a pebble in one's shoe, privation, self flagellation, the wearing of garter belts studded with metal spikes, and ascending flights of stairs on one's knees, et al.
Those types of calculated pain and/or suffering are usually meant to convince God of one's sincerity.
Spikes and stones and whatnot may seem logical to a humanistic sense of piety; but actually Christ's believing followers can get by just fine without all that because his crucifixion did for them what no amount of their own personal suffering will ever in a million years accomplish.
● 1John 2:2 . . And he himself is the propitiation for our sins
Webster's defines propitiation as: pacify, appease, assuage, conciliate, mollify, placate, and/or sweeten.
● Isa 53:5 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
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When people are desperately clinging to treetops, with murky flood waters roiling around them, just inches away from death and the hereafter, the last thing they need is somebody coming by to discuss America's border crises and/or the ongoing coal mine fire in Centralia Pennsylvania when what they really need is a National Guard helicopter to lower a harness down and pull them up from that treetop.
When someone awakens at night in a burning home and finds themselves trapped in their room; that is not the time to talk to them about Covid 19 and/or the war in Ukraine when what they really need is firemen to break thru the flames and get them outside to safety.
Wouldn't it be nice if it were possible to dial 911 for emergency assistance when someone comes to the realization they are in grave danger going to Hell and see no hope of ever escaping it on their own?
Born and raised in the Catholic religion, it was never once suggested to me that the primary purpose of Christ's crucifixion was to rescue folks from a fate worse than death.
● Rom 5:5-10 . .While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
. . . Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
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● 1Tim 2:5-6 . . Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.
One of the New Testament Greek words for redemption is apolutrosis (ap-ol-oo' tro-sis); which means: to ransom in full.
Another is lutrosis (loo'-tro-sis); which means: a ransoming.
Ransoms can be defined as considerations paid or demanded for the release of someone or something that's stuck in a grave situation; e.g. overwhelming debt that a debtor cannot possibly ever pay off, and or slavery from which the slave himself hasn't, nor will ever have, the means with which to buy himself out.
The thing is: were it not for Christ's crucifixion, the best that God would be able to offer anybody is a reprieve: defined as a temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence especially of death, i.e. delay. In other words: there's coming a day when the demands of Heaven's criminal justice system will finally be given its pound of flesh, and that day would be humanly impossible to circumvent were it not for Christ's crucifixion per Isa 53:5-6.
That's one aspect; there's yet another:
● 1Pet 1:18-19 . .You were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.
"futile conduct" is no doubt relative to human nature-- every natural-born human child comes into the world a slave to it; even the best of us; for example the apostle Paul.
"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who shall rescue me from this body of death? (Rom 7:15-24)
FAQ: God created mankind with a nature that's bad to the bone?
REPLY: In the beginning, God evaluated His work and graded it not just good, but very good, i.e. excellent. (Gen 1:31) Then came the forbidden fruit incident whereby mankind's characteristics underwent a remarkable transformation from their excellent condition to a corrupted condition; due in part to the Serpent's handiwork. He has the power of death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the human body and the human mind in ways not easily detected. (e.g. Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and Eph 2:1-3)
The Serpent's power is binding; so that nothing less than Christ's intervention could liberate mankind from it.
● John 12:31-33 . .The time of judgment for the world has come, when the prince of this world will be cast out. And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to myself.
FAQ: Why preach this on forums when so many here know it already?
REPLY: What some may not know is that this ransom is available to everyone merely by consent and an RSVP to Christ letting him know they want in on it.
● John 6:37-40 . . Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me: that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.
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Forgiveness hinges upon timing. Folks on the wrong side of the netherworld are stuck there because they let absolution slip thru their fingers when it was available.
● 2Cor 6:1-2 . . As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For He says: In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
● Heb 3:8 . .Today, if you hear His voice, do not resist.
As a parallel case; the Pharaoh of Egypt was given ample opportunity to comply with Moses' demands until the night when an angel came thru Egypt slaying all the land's firstborn sons; even the firstborn among livestock.
Another parallel case is the Flood when Noah warned of an impending deluge year after year until the day came when all not aboard the ark were slain; including moms, infants, and elder citizens.
Compare the parable of the ten maidens wherein five weren't thinking. They let themselves be distracted with a trifle and by doing so missed the party.
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● Heb 10:26-27 . . For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
That passage is basically a reiteration of Num 15:30-31 which is codified in the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. (For the purposes of a letter that specifically addresses Jews, a "knowledge of the truth" would of course be relative to that one particular covenant.)
Now the thing is: that covenant's rules and regulations are not retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4) Therefore they wouldn't be binding upon priesthoods established prior to Aaron's.
Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) was exempt from the rules and regulations of that covenant because he was the Almighty's high priest something like +/- 400 years before Aaron. (Gal 3:17)
Jesus' priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek's. (Ps 110:4 & Heb 5:10)
Therefore, seeing as how Jesus' priesthood isn't subject to Num 15:30-31, then neither are any of the people unified with him.
● Acts 13:37-40 . .Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
** The word "freed" is translated from dikaioo (dik-ah-yo'-o) which basically means just and/or innocent, i.e. acquitted; defined as an adjudication of innocence due to a lack of evidence to convict. An acquittal is far and away better than a pardon because it leaves nothing of record in one's personnel file to discuss in court.
NOTE: On the night of Jesus' birth, an angel announced good news of great joy. Well; speaking for myself, as someone who had a lot to answer for, the availability of an acquittal for willful sinners was very joyous news indeed.
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FAQ: Can a Christian be a Buddhist?
REPLY: Well, to begin with: classic Buddhism has no supreme being(s) like there is in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism, i.e. classic Buddhism is atheistic: consequently Buddhists experience relatively little anxiety about facing justice some day.
Buddhism's goal is nirvana. However; the nirvana that Siddhartha Gautama taught isn't a destination: it's a state of mind; and Buddhists who achieve nirvana live it here as mortals; not somewhere else as immortals.
Technically, Buddhism has no afterlife. When those who achieve nirvana pass away, they go completely out of existence. But the ones who fail to achieve nirvana have to go thru a process called samsara wherein they undergo serial reincarnations; which are quite a bit different than a standard resurrection.
Reincarnation doesn't return one's soul to their body, primarily because there is no soul in Buddhism; instead, reincarnation reassembles one's karmic matter; which doesn't always result in another human life, nor even the same gender. Sometimes it results in a lower form of life, e.g. a horse, a meerkat, a moth, or a pheasant, et al.
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● Gen 3:22 . . .The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.
The man became "like" one of us, which is different than becoming one of us. In other words: the man became a tin God (Psalm 82) and his conscience-- which at one time had the potential to be perfect in every way --is now a fallen conscience.
The Levitical system per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy specifies a number of atonements for a man's behavior, but none are specified to atone for a man's fallen conscience; not even Yom Kippur. (Heb 9:9)
But even if there were a Levitical atonement specified for a man's fallen conscience, it would still need to be replaced with a conscience that has the potential to be perfect in every way.
Well; the cross atones for a man's fallen conscience (Heb 9:14 & Heb 10:22) but it appears to me that only a regeneration like the one spoken of by John 3:3-8 can actually do something about correcting it. (cf. Ezek 36:24-27)
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The Old Testament has quite a bit to say about the kingdom of Heaven, and so did Jesus in something like thirteen of his parables.
I decided for myself long ago that its venue isn't up. Instead it's down here on Earth relative to messiah's future jurisdiction as monarch and ruler of the entire world; which for now is in the hands of the wrong kinds of people.
For example; according to Isa 2:4, Messiah intends to put a stop to war. Well; just look at the kingdom of Heaven's politics today. War is common, even in the very promised land itself.
Of particular interest to me is the prediction that "neither shall they learn war anymore". Well; here in my land, kids as young as six are training in martial arts; and boastful of the fact that they are able to disable somebody with their bare hands.
My favorite atheist, Christopher Hitchens, once remarked that religion ruins everything. He was so right. Well, that has to stop, and it will, as Isa 11:9 predicts a one-world religion; and it won't be given lip service, no, it will be practiced. (Isa 2:2-3)
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● Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Well; in my own experience, that statement has been 100% reliable because I have yet to encounter somebody who I felt was successfully duplicating God's sinless perfection. So then, I've concluded that God has set the bar so high that nobody can reach it. His own goodness is the gold standard and, speaking for myself, I can't even come close to equaling it let alone topping it.
When I was a young guy coming of age, it occurred to me that if I were as naturally pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, then it would be very easy to attain to Heaven and to stay in Heaven without fear of being kicked out: that would be the cat's meow.
● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him
I was very surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something very similar to the thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made to Moses' people.
● Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command.
That benefit will make it possible for Moses' people to live with God on earth, but it isn't sufficient for making it possible for them to live with God in heaven. However, there is a benefit available that makes it possible for them to live with God in heaven as well as on earth. It goes like this:
● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that's in the world.
I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature could ever hope for because even at its best, the human nature is corrupt; which is translated from a Greek word basically meaning decayed, i.e. spoiled, as in gone bad like when raw meat is left out for too long. Decay can be stopped but it can't be reversed, and therein is a serious problem with the human nature: it's too far gone. Hence Jesus' statement:
"Do not be surprised that I said you must be born again". (John 3:7)
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● Luke 11:1-2 . . He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples. He said to them: When you pray, say: yada, yada, yada, etc.
When I was a little boy, just about every night at bedtime I recited the classic lay-me-down-to-sleep children's prayer. In my opinion; a rote prayer like that one is okay for getting kids started communicating with God.
Jesus' disciples were full-grown men physically. But they were just babies spiritually. A prayer like the Our Father is a good place for spiritually immature Christians to begin, but it's not a good place for them to stay.
●1Cor 13:11 . .When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
Now you take Jesus for example. There is no record of him ever even once praying the Our Father. In point of fact, when examining Jesus' prayers, it's readily apparent that he always prayed in a conversational style instead of rote. A really good example of his style is located at John 17:1-26. Jesus' style is the style that mature Christians are to follow as their role model.
● Eph 4:15 . .We should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ
● Heb 4:16 . . So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
The Greek word for "confidently" is parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah) which means all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, and/or boldness.
Reciting a rote prayer like the Our Father is not what I call forthright, nor blunt, nor out-spoken, nor bold. No; it's actually quite childish.
When people have been Christians for some time, and still reciting rote prayers, I'd have to say that their spiritual growth has been stunted, i.e. they're not developing properly because they haven't been getting adequate nourishment.
● Eph 4:11-13 . . And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
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FAQ: Do you not know it is the kindness of God, rather than fear and threats of fiery justice, that leads men to repentance? (Rom 2:4)
REPLY: If the Bible's God weren't so kind, then He wouldn't bother with giving His creatures advance notice of the potential horror in store for them in the afterlife.
● Luke 12:4-5 . . And I say unto you my friends; Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you fear Him.
Was Christ wrong to instill a fear of God within his friends? No; I think he was 110% justified. For example: when I was working as a professional welder for the US Army Corps of Engineers, we had weekly and monthly safety meetings wherein we were shown some grisly photographs of real life industrial accidents involving burns, chain saws, punctured eyes, explosions, falls, crane collapses, suffocation, crushing, and the like.
Let me tell you: those safety meetings got our attention, and really made a sharp distinction between the fool and the wise. Somebody like Billy Graham needs to get out there and let people know that they're up against a celestial despot far more dangerous than the CCP and/or North Korea's Kim Jong-Un.
A Danger Foreseen,
Is Half-Avoided.
(Cheyenne Proverb)
A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. (Prov 22:3)
The kindness of God has given the world fair and adequate notice of what to expect in the afterlife. Those who don't care about it one way or the other would be well advised to use what time they have remaining to begin preparing themselves for the worst when they cross over to the other side.
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FAQ: Why is Palestine called the promised land?
REPLY: Back in the 17th chapter of the book of Genesis-- several centuries before Moses --God deeded that region to Abraham, and to his posterity via Isaac, as a permanent possession.
The covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, isn't retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4, and Gal 3:17) Therefore no matter how grossly, nor how often, Moses' people fail to honor their obligations per that covenant, they will never lose possession of Palestine because Abraham obtained it for them in perpetuity as an unconditional gift. There is always the possibility of their losing sovereignty in that land, but never a possibility of their losing ownership of it.
● Rom 11:29 . .God's gifts . . . are irrevocable.
* The actual borders of the land that God promised to Abraham, and to his posterity via Isaac, delineate quite a bit more territory than today's squeaky little State of Israel.
● Gen 15:18c-21 . . from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgasites, and the Jebusites.
The Euphrates is Iraq's eastern border. The "river of Egypt" is very likely the Nile since there was no Suez Canal in that Day; though it's been suggested (with some merit) this water might be a small stream south of Gaza known as Wadi el Arish.
If there's a map handy, it's readily apparent just how huge a piece of real estate that God assigned to Abram and his offspring. It's very difficult to precisely outline the whole area but it seems to encompass a chunk of Africa east of the Nile, (including the delta), the Sinai Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Onan, UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
We're talking about some serious square mileage-- roughly 1,538,370 of them; which is more than Ireland, United Kingdom, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Finland combined!
Currently, Israel, at its widest east to west dimension, across the Negev, is less than 70 miles; and south to north from the Gulf Of Aqaba to Shemona, about 260; comprising a square mileage of only 8,473: a mere ½ of 1% of the specified region.
God has yet to give Abraham posterity via Isaac control of all the land. In point of fact, the boundaries were very early on temporarily reduced for the time being per Num 34:1-12)
The temporary boundaries run from the Mediterranean Sea eastward to the Jordan River; and from the southern tip of the Dead Sea northward to a geographic location which has not yet really been quite accurately identified. Ezek 47:15 says the northern border passes along "the way of Hethlon" which some feel is very likely the valley of the Nahr al Kubbir river which roughly parallels the northern border of modern day Lebanon, and through which a railroad track lies between An Naqib on the Mediterranean coast to Hims Syria.
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Why do you call the Land of Israel "palestine?"
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Heaven? Not Interested!
It's an alien world with which I am totally unfamiliar; and when I leave here, I will be leaving behind everything near and dear to me, e.g. photos, mementos, souvenirs, collections, sights and sounds, mountains, creeks, rivers and forests, clothing and equipment, tools, landmarks, entertainment, hobbies, my spouse, BFF, and my aging Ford Ranger pick-up truck, etc, etc.
The culture shock tsunami of leaving all that I know & love and going to a foreign land where I know & love nothing at all, is not my idea of a good time. Personally; I dread the thought of having to start all over again from scratch.
NOTE: I've heard tell of folks thoroughly unable to form attachments to anything, to anybody, nor to any place. When they leave this life, they will leave nothing behind of sentimental value; nothing in the least, nothing at all. It's like they lived their entire lives as turnips and carrots instead of sentient beings.
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● Isa 53:2 . .He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Quite a few of the artistic representations of Jesus' face that I've seen depict him as a rather attractive man but according to the Bible, he wasn't.
● Isa 53:3 . . He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
My youngest brother was a chick magnet growing up, and very popular in school amongst both the boys and the girls. He was admired and had lots of friends; but apparently Jesus wasn't so fortunate. He was more or less one of the nobody's in his community rather than a stand-out, and his peers tended to ignore him.
● Isa 53:4 . . Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Like Job's friends-- who were positive the old boy deserved what he got --the folks in Jesus' community assumed his medical conditions attested that underneath that facade of piety he was actually a bad man.
People really couldn't tell just by looking at him that Jesus was somebody special. In point of fact, his own cousin John the baptist had no clue that Jesus was the man for whom God sent him to pave the way. (John 1:29-33)
All in all, Jesus didn't fit the picture of God's choice for a man destined to be the supreme of all prophets; not even close, so it's no wonder folks who knew him were astounded to be told he was "the one". (Matt 13:54-57 & Luke 4:16-29)
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FAQ: What was the purpose of Jesus' miracles?
REPLY: Well, there's an official purpose, but I see in them an alternate purpose that speaks to me in a special way.
God has given His son a number of sheep to be his own. (John 10:29)
It is God's will that His son lose none of those sheep. (John 6:39)
So Jesus' miracles demonstrate (to me anyway) that he has all the powers of the supreme being at his disposal to ensure the sheep remain in his custody; and that's final because Jesus is stubbornly, and resolutely, determined to comply with his Father's decisions. (John 4:34 & John 8:29)
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There's more than one Greek verb translated "love" in the New Testament.
For example John 3:16 which says:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
That verb doesn't necessarily express affection but is always benevolent. It's the kind of love expressed in sympathy, courtesy, kindness, generosity, compassion, empathy, civility, and humane conduct. We don't have to especially like someone before treating them with this kind of love. For example Matt 5:44-48.
And then there's a verb spoken of during Jesus' last supper, wherein he said:
"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."
The Greek verb in that passage goes beyond benevolence because it speaks of strong emotions like affection, bonding, and attachment.
All in all then, God pities the world, but He goes beyond and feels at home with His son's followers.
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During dialogue with a Jewish man several years ago, I was asked a very pertinent question that went like this:
"Jesus died for your sins up to the point of your conversion. What about the sins you are committing now?"
That's a reasonable question coming from a Jew because Levitical atonements had to be repeated over and over again. Even Yom Kippur, the great day of atonement, is only useful up to that point and from thence Jews began accumulating sins towards the next Yom Kippur.
Now supposing God were to stop keeping track of a Jew's sins on Yom Kippur? Well; that would be the cat's meow because the Jew would then need to avail himself of the great day of atonement but one time only rather than repeatedly year after year after year.
Well; the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy doesn't allow for God to stop holding His people's sins against them; whereas Christ's crucifixion is much better than Yom Kippur because it does allow for God to stop.
● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.
The Greek word translated "counting" pertains to inventory, i.e. an indictment. Well, needless to say; without an indictment, prosecutors have no grounds for hauling someone into court.
** There's a bit of a moral hazard under these circumstances. Due to the fact that Jesus' followers are on an honor system instead of a legal system, they have an incentive to become ever more sinful; hence Paul's urging them to cultivate self restraint.
● Rom 6:1-3 . . What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
● Rom 6:12-14 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
● Gal 5:13 . .You, my brethren, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.
FAQ: If God is no longer keeping tabs on the sins of His son's followers, then what's with 1John 1:5-10?
REPLY: God desires fellowship with His son's followers; which of course requires transparency on their part. But the important thing is: according to John 5:24 nothing Jesus' followers do now goes in the books to be used against them later on down the road at the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15. Their sins are no longer criminal matters, instead; now they're family matters. (1John 3:1-2)
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Apparently the OP was "too distracted" by my comments and blocked me.
All I wanted to know was why he was using the non-biblical name Palestine for the Holy Land of Israel.
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It's relatively common to encounter Christians online who've been led to sincerely believe that it is impossible to comply with the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Well; I sincerely suspect that's not entirely true. For example: Josiah was able to keep it (2Kgs 23:25) Zacharias and his wife were able to keep it (Luke 1:5-6) and Paul the apostle was able to keep it. (Phil 3:6)
However, in order to succeed with Moses' law, one must be 100% dedicated, i.e. it's not a path for slackers and/or wanna bees and wishful thinkers.
● Deut 6:5 . . . You shall love Jehovah your God with all yourheart, and with all your being, and with all your strength.
In other words: one cannot be "on again-off again" instead; folks who've chosen the Law's path to God must be fully committed.
● Rom 2:7 . .To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality; He will give eternal life.
So then, if it's possible to comply with Moses' law, then why seek another path? Well, the problem is not with the Law. The problem with that path is that it requires an Herculean will power that many of us are never going to have, not in this life nor in the next. So, what are the chances of success for scofflaws seeing as how Deut 27:26 and Num 15:30-31 affords them no options?
Well, the chances become excellent by means of Divine intervention.
● Ezek 36:24-27 . . For I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your land. And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and from all your abominations will I cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you and bring it about that you will walk in My statutes and you will keep My ordinances and do them.
I was baptized an infant into the Catholic religion and anon completed First Holy Communion and Confirmation. So I can testify, from training and from experience, that the Catholic religion is a very difficult path to God; thus I feared that my destiny on the wrong side of things was pretty much a foregone conclusion. So I really got excited when I ran across the last part of that passage where it says:
"I will put My spirit within you, and bring it about that you will walk in My statutes and you will keep My ordinances and do them."
* Mr. Ezekiel's prophecy pertains to Moses' people, but there is a way for us Gentile mongrels to get in on it too. (cf. Matt 15:21-28)
NOTE: That foreign woman's reasoning is supported by Isa 49:6 wherein is stated:
"Jehovah my God says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
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I myself have never yet met anyone able to produce sinless perfection, but some folks in the Bible have been very commendable. For example: Josiah (2Kgs 23:25) Zacharias & Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-6) and Paul the apostle. (Phil 3:6)
However: their level of success has been possible only because Moses' law provides them with a safety net in the form of a reconciliation system. It appears to me from Ps 40:6, Jer 7:22-23, & Hos 6:6 that God would rather the quality of His people's conduct be such that they can get by without having to constantly resort over and over again to a reconciliation system, i.e. a quality that is just as flawless as His son's.
"I always do what pleases Him." (John 8:29)
Moses' covenant contains no provisions for reconstructing the core of one's being whereas the new covenant per Jer 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 36:24-27 promises that very thing by replacing human nature with a heavenly nature so that its beneficiaries may always and forever do what pleases Him.
FAQ: The promises per Jer 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 36:24-27 pertain to Moses' people. Aren't Gentiles claiming something that doesn't belong to them, i.e. stealing?
REPLY: God wants them in on the benefit too.
● Isa 49:6 . . Jehovah my God says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
In a nutshell:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and piety through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2Pet 1:3-4)
The divine nature is much superior to the human nature with which Adam was created. He failed to always please God even in ideal conditions; whereas Christ never failed to please God even in less than ideal conditions (John 8:29, 2Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, 1Pet 2:22) Like they say: the proof is in the pudding.
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Christ's priesthood is based upon a holy man in the Old Testament named Melchizedek (spellings vary)
● Heb 5:4-6 . . Christ did not take upon himself the honor of becoming a high priest. But God said to him: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (cf. Ps 110:4)
Melchizedek was God's high priest in Abraham's day. (Gen 14:18-20 & Heb 5:10)
Mel's authority held sway in his region +/- 400 years prior to the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy --a.k.a. Moses' law.
Moses' law isn't retroactive (Deut 5:2-4) therefore none of its obligations, along with its consequences for non compliance, applied to Mel's priesthood. In point of fact: the line of Aaron is the official priesthood within the scope of Moses' law rather than Melchizedek. (Lev 29:9)
Now; if none of Moses' obligations and consequences applied to Mel, then of course neither did they apply to the folks for whom his priesthood ministered; which at the time included Abraham. (Gen 14:20 & Gal 3:17)
That was quite an advantage for not only Abraham, but for all the folk's within the scope of Mel's high priesthood, and it's quite an advantage for folks within the scope of Jesus' high priesthood too seeing as how his is patterned after Melchizedek's.
The measure of immunity available to folks via the priesthood order of Melchizedek is practically a license to steal, so to speak --and I could only wish everybody knew about it because there are folks out there whose slipshod compliance with the Sermon on the Mount, and the Ten Commandments, has them on a direct path toward a terrifying destination that God has made very easy to avoid.
FAQ: How so?
REPLY: RSVP
Find some privacy, anywhere convenient. I suggest covering your face with your hands and closing your eyes; it will give you a sense of connection. Then, sort of under your breath, and in your own words, simply speak up for yourself telling God your concerns about retribution, and that you'd like to be placed within the scope of His son's high priesthood to avoid it.
If God is favorable; you will be placed in very good hands.
● John 6:37-40 . . All that the Father gives me will come to me; and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
● Rom 8:34 . . Who is he that condemns? Shall Christ Jesus, who died? More than that: He who was restored to life? He who is the right hand of God and is also interceding for us?
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FAQ: Did Jesus ever instruct anyone to pray to himself?
REPLY: Yes.
● Matt 11:28-29 . . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
● John 4:10-14 . .If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.
● John 7:37 . . On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice; "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."
When Jesus says "come" and/or "ask" he expects his audiences to reciprocate with an RSVP.
● John 5:39 . . .You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
NOTE: Prayer can be thought of as rapport: defined as a friendly relationship marked by ready communication and mutual understanding; which is the opposite of Matt 7:22-23 wherein Jesus informs a number of super-pious individuals that he never knew them, i.e. they somehow failed to initiate an intimate, person-to-person, association with the one man in Christianity that matters most.
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When I was a child, Hell was academic, i.e. an article of faith. But not anymore because now I'm 80 and most of my family has passed on. It's very, very probable that my mom and two of my three brothers are down there. Somebody else's kin suffering in Hell is one thing, but quite a different feeling about it when it's your own.
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He looked beyond my faults,
And saw my need.
(Dottie Rambo, 2003)
NOTE: Solomon wrote 1,005 songs (1Kings 4:32) Dottie surpassed him with +/- 2,500.
Anyway, that one brief lyric says quite a bit.
● 1John 4:9-10 . .This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Without Christ's crucifixion, mankind would have no safety net to rescue them from facing justice with a very meticulous, unbiased jurist; and for sure the outcome would not be to their advantage. But why would God go to the trouble?
The Greek word translated love in the above passage isn't necessarily relative to affection. It mostly pertains to impersonal interactions, for example: kindness, courtesy, charity, civility, tact, assistance, compassion, pity, and sympathy, et al.
Compassion plays a strong role in many of God's activities with mankind. It can be defined as a sympathetic awareness of others' distress coupled with a desire to alleviate it. A longing for sympathy is sometimes viewed as a character flaw; but nonetheless, I think it's perfectly normal for people to crave it.
I've encountered folks on internet forums who actually resent Christ for doing something for them that they didn't ask for. Well; the thing is; complainers don't have to sign on for the benefit, after all; it is optional: sort of like the liberty that homeless people exercise when they refuse a hand-out. But in this respect, we're not talking about money and/or goods and services, instead, we're talking about a man's life. i.e. an uncommon donation that's above and beyond the usual.
● Rom 5:6-8 . .At just the right time, when we were still helpless, Christ died for the impious. Very rarely does anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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