Seeing Situations as we Want to See Them

Do animals experience fear as humans experience fear or do animals experience pain as humans experience pain? Any affect sin being brought into the world has had on animals is collateral damage. Those claiming human suffering has resulted from Eve's sin must explain animal suffering and pain. How did they or any of their ancestors commit sin? Have you seen either in person or in documentaries animals being eaten while they are still alive? Have you ever caught a small fish being eaten by a larger fish?

 

To make them feel better Christians say animals do not suffer or feel pain has humans do. We see situations as we want to see them. That is reason enough to love truth.Paul told the Thessalonians "The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

 

It appears the Bible warns us that we will believe what we want to believe so loving the truth is mandatory. 

Member of THE church?

Have you considered if the term, "member of the church" is found in the Bible? If you were to ask "Are you a member of the Church?" what is the question behind the question? The same thing can be said concerning the term Christian. If you were to ask "Are you a Christian?" what is the question behind the question? Have you found similar questions in the Bible? Are the terms "member of the church" and Christian synonyms and are they blblical terms?

 

What does the term "obey the gospel" mean? In Thessalonians Paul wrote about "those who do not know God and those who do not heed the good news of our Lord Jesus." Peter wrote "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not heed the good news of God? Are Paul and Peter referring to hear, believe, repent, confess and baptism or are they referring to the fact that Jesus has died and has risen again?

 

The act of being immersed is the only documented way for us to have our sins forgiven. Anyone who has not been immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins have not had their sins forgiven, have not received the gift of the Holy Spirit and have not been saved.

 

Followers of Christ were called Christians.  Today Christian means many things in addition to "follower of Christ."  But Christian only identifies "followers of Christ." Anyone who has not copied what the New Testament says those on Pentecost did is not a Christian. Anyone who has not been immersed for the forgiveness of their sins is not a Christian. Jesus said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Anyone who is not keeping Jesus' commandments does not love Jesus and therefore is not a Christian, is not saved, God has not been added them  to the number being saved the "called out" THE church.  

 

Do Unto Others

Have you considered that God will treat us like we treat other people. Jesus said do unto others as you want others to do unto you. Jesus also said that unless we forgive others he and his Father will not forgive us. Why should we expect God to do things for us that we are unwilling to do to and for others?

American, a Difficult Language

In the language in which the Bible is recorded has detailed words that are all translated into general words in American. One example is the American word "love." The original language of the Bible has 4 or five or more words all translated "love." Another example is the words translated "sin."

 

 

 

1 John 1:7-9

    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ). [8] If we say that we have no sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  [9] If we confess our sins (266-offence, sin (-full) ), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (266-offence, sin (-full) ), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

1 John 2:1

    My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) not. And if any man sin (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)), we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: [2] And he is the propitiation for our sins (266-offence, sin (-full) ): and not for ours only, but also for the sins (*) of the whole world.

 

1 John 2:12

    I write unto you, little children, because your sins (266-offence, sin (-full) ) are forgiven you for his name's sake.

 

1 John 3:4-9

    Whosoever committeth sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ) transgresseth also the law: for sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ) is the transgression of the law. [5] And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins (266-offence, sin (-full) ); and in him is no sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ). [7] Whosoever abideth in him sinneth (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) not: whosoever sinneth (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) hath not seen him, neither known him. [7] Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

 [8] He that committeth sin (266-offence, sin (-full) )  is of the devil; for the devil sinneth (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. [9] Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ); for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)), because he is born of God. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (266-offence, sin (-full) ).

 

1 John 5:16-18

    If any man see his brother sin (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) a sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ) which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) not unto death. There is a sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ) unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. [17] All unrighteousness is sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ): and there is a sin (266-offence, sin (-full) ) not unto death. [18] We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth (264-to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) to err; faults, offend, trespass)) not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

 

 

American, a Difficult Language in which to be Specific

In the language in which the Bible is recorded has detailed words that are all translated into general words in American. One example is the American word "love." The original language of the Bible has 4 or five or more words all translated "love." Another example is the words translated "sin." More later.

Is Jesus' Way the Best Way?

On at least two occasions Jesus told his followers that His "kingdom is not of this world."

 

John 8:23   "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 

 

John 18:36    "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." 

 

As a result of Jesus decision not to fight, he died as did many of his followers. Jesus has told us how to live. Why do you suppose Jesus will help us to be successful in this world if he would not save his followers from horrendous deaths?  

 

If there were no physical benefit, if Jesus is not who he says he is would you still follow the principles he gives us to live by?

 

Paul told the church at Corinth:  "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. . . . If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."  He was speaking of our hope of eternal life but is Jesus' way the best way or is it just his way that we are forced to go?

 

Listen to our public prayers for your answer.

 

 

About the Father's Business

Paul told Timothy: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions,

 

that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

 

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

 

who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

 

Leading a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way was not intended to permit Timothy or us to go on vacations, buy nice cars, live in big houses and it was not intended for his or our comfort and safety. It was so he could and so we can be about the Father's business.

In Acts, Christians, expecting persecution, asked God to: "… grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness," That is a prayer God will answer.

 

When we look around On the subject of shaping the future of Egypt, we might want to remember Jesus' statement "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." Jesus did not get involved with politics.

Christians Want Jesus to do Everything

Matthew tells us Jesus told the apostles "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

 

Now one might ask, "Why didn't the apostles just "pray" for the world after all Jesus had told them, "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."  Why did they have to go when they could have prayed? Surely if the apostles had asked Jesus to save the people he would have done it, he said he would do anything they asked in his name. All they had to do was to pray and say "in Jesus' name" that's what we do.

 

No matter how much we protest deep down we do not believe the Bible. On one occasion the disciples had been unable to cast out a demon. They "came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?'  He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.'" Christians today do not believe Jesus meant that literally.

 

Today we hear prayers asking God to do a myriad of things including healing people, comforting people, saving people and etc. God is not going to do any of those separate from what he has already designed. Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world and that if it was he would have fought. Instead Jesus surrendered without a fight resulting in his physical death as well as the deaths of many of his followers. Jesus has told us how to live but Christians today want more. They want Jesus to do things he has instructed his followers to do.

 

When we hear prayers for Jesus to heal someone don't you wonder what sort of a loving God would see his follower sick but not do anything unless a third party asked him to heal them? What sort of God would see a follower in distress and not do anything unless a third party asked him to comfort that individual? What sort of a loving God would see a person who is lost and not do anything to save that person unless a third party asked him to save them? After all he claims to want everyone saved.  

 

No, God has told us what to do and how to do it and promised to be with us but that is not enough. Christians want him to do it, too. Christians want Jesus to do everything.

 

 

 

Things to be Understood

Issues to be understood and explained include:

 

• The Bible's position on stem cell research;
• The Bible's position on abortion;
• Explain the Bible's teachings on homosexuality, slavery, and animal sacrifice;
• Explain Jesus' teachings on redistribution of wealth.

 

 

Priorities in Prayer

The next time you are "in church" listen to the public prayers. Make
note of the sequence of requests. This will help you understand the
priorities of the person praying. You just might notice that asking
for the forgiveness of sins is tantamount to saying "Good By" on the
telephone. It often is the last thing before the official exit "In
Jesus' Name." If one truly believes they have unforgiven sins wouldn't
it make sense to get those wiped away first thing instead of the last
thing? We do not really believe we have unforgiven sins but we ask out
of habit and tradition. Much of what we do in church is habit and
tradition and we do it without thinking.

What Do You Believe About Prayer?

God is not active in the physical world. The claim that God answers
all prayers is incorrect. He does not and will not answer prayers
involving the physical world. Does that upset you? Why?

John wrote that in response to a question from Pilate Jesus said: "My
kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my
servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over
to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." If Jesus did not
fight for the safety of his followers why will he fight for your
health and safety? Keep in mind because of Jesus' refusal to fight his
followers died. In some cases whole families died. In some cases
members of families of believers were tortured before they died. Jesus
did not save them from the physical.

People claiming "prayer works" cannot provide one reason for such a
claim. Although the Bible tells them to be ready in season and out of
season to give a reason for the hope within them those claimants do
not. They cannot.

They have no faith because they believe "God only helps those who help
themselves." They believe unless they can see how, they do not
believe. That is not faith as the Bible describes faith: "Now faith is
the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Faith is not seeing it is relying on God.

When parents refuse medical help for their children because they are
relying on God to heal their children people claiming to be "Followers
of Christ" make negative comments concerning their naivety for
thinking such things.

In my lifetime of "going to church" I have never observed nor have I
experienced any successful prayers. Now, you might say that sin has
come between me and God or that I have done something to hinder my
prayers but I am not just talking about me but everyone. Not just my
prayers. James wrote "the prayer of a righteous man avails much."
Apparently not only am I not righteous I have never met a righteous
man. My prayers as well as the prayers of others avail nothing.

Prayer has become something like a mantra. We believe just saying
something will make everything better. My experience and my
observation say the only way to get off the "prayer list" is too die.
We hear prayers that say, "We pray for." What does that mean? "Pray
for" is neither a request nor a supplication it is a statement and a
false statement at that. The individual is claiming we are praying
when we are just saying we are praying.

What sort of world would it be if God directly intervened, suspending
His natural laws, each time we encounter a life-threatening situation?
This would render the law system of our planet completely undependable
and make life a sphere of hopeless confusion. Such a haphazard system,
in fact, would argue more for atheism that it would for theism.

God knows before we ask what sort of a loving God does nothing unless
we ask? What sort of a loving God sees one of his "followers" in a
situation he could resolve but does nothing unless a third person asks
him to intervene? I can hear the argument now. God wants us to ask so
we can realize how dependent we are upon him. OK, how do you explain
the situation where you have seemingly miraculously survived while
others died? The survivors say "it was a miracle" or "it wasn't my
time to go" or "God was with me"? To explain the past we say God
jumped in at the right time. But we lack the same confidence on future
situations such as when a loved on has a serious or what looks like an
illness leading to death. For future situations we believe God only
helps those who help themselves. In reality we do not need God for
those times.

Why do we thank God when a person is immersed? He didn't do anything
special. That person believed what God had already provided. God wants
everyone to be saved. Do you believe he will let that person go to
Hell because a third person did not intervene? He should thank us for
doing something he cannot do.

God is not going to "touch the heart" of some individual so that
individual believes. If he were to do that he would be circumventing
his "foolishness of preaching" and the "power of the Spirit to
convict" the sinner. If we want that individual's heart "touched" we
have to do something that will touch it or we have to find someone to
do something to touch it.

When we understand prayer for the physical we will understand what it
means to be the "body of Christ."

When we ask God to do something, we are his hands and feet in the
physical realm. Because we are followers of God we will do what we
can. When you ask God to do something, stop, think, what specifically
are you asking God to do? Then, look in the Bible to see if you can
find support for such a request. Muslims pray, Christians pray neither
gets results, why? Without Bible support Christians are no better off
than Muslims.

Response to a Question of Anti-Christ

According to Strong's Exhausting Concordance the word translated "antichrist" means "opponent of the Messiah." According to today's definition it can mean "against",  "opposite of",  or "in place of".

 

That would seem to indicate anti-christ is one who denies Christ has come and claim to be the Christ.

 

Also according to Strong's concordance John's first and second letters are the only place the term appears. For the first sixty or so years apparently Christians were not faced with such Spirits and until late in the first century were unaware the term. Apparently the spirits were taking one last shot before they became impotent as they are today.

 

When people resist the truth about God, will not receive the truth about God and act upon it God will send a strong delusion upon them that they may believe a lie and be lost. Delusions will be sent only to people who will not receive truth;  who do not love truth.  Those who are satisfied with the truth of the word of God can always learn enough of it to be saved by it. In the most simple terms God will ensure one finds what one loves. It is most important that we love truth.

 

By your definition of anti-Christ Paul was anti-christ until he was taught truth. So either the condition known as anti-christ can be corrected or just being a denier of Christ does ot make one anti-Christ. Paul apparently loved truth but had not been exposed to it in such a way he could understand it. As an apostle he used the scriptures to prove to people the Christ had to come and die and Jesus was the Christ. I wonder how such an educated man could not have understood the scriptures. If an educated individual could not understand the scriptures there must have been no hope of the uneducated understanding.

 

During New Testament times spirits were active. Possibly anti-christ was one of those spirits claiming to be Christ.. Anti-Christ was a spiritual power a wicked spirit.  That would suggest anti-christ does not exist today in our world.

 

As far as understanding plain English: a respeito de minha compreensão do inglês liso: como é claramente você que pensa?

 

I believe you know my thoughts on the United States being a Christian nation. The word Christian means follower of Christ. As with other church words the term has become vague and meaningless. Unless one is a follower of Christ one is not a Christian. The example we have in the New Testament in Acts the group Jesus established on Pentecost we call the body of Christ was made up of people who had been immersed for the remission of their sins. They were added to the group by God.  Therefore, if one has not been immersed for the remission of their sins they are not in the body of Christ, they are not following Christ therefore they are not Christian. Acknowleding Christ has come does not make one a follower. This country does not now nor has it ever followed Christ.

 

 

Do We Deserve Better?

On the subject of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 we have people who accomplished great things for God: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah,   Joseph, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

And we have others who although they trusted God they were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life. Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, hungry and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world. They wandered over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith.

Listen to our prayers. Why do we suppose God will protect us from adversity and persecution?

THE inerrant word of God

What is meant when we say we have the "the inerrant Word of God?"  A new translation is being touted.

 

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/03/02/New-Bible-nixes-booty-virgin/UPI-36421299100985/

 

I'm not sure why they mention replacing "booty" (apparently in some circles it results in jokes) since it is used only 3 times in the KJV and is translated "spoil" in others. People are upset with the word "virgin" being replaced with "young woman."  Only time will tell if the version catches on but when people read this version and hear about the "inerrant Word of God" do they have it?

 

Thanks, John Jenkins
865-803-8179  cell
Gatlinburg, TN

Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Website: http://www.greenbriersolutions.com 
Blog: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/
 
Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.