RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL ISSUES - 100 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The following questions are real questions that were asked by a
variety of very real people about religious and spiritual issues. While some of the questions may appear foolish or incoherent to
others, and even the spelling and grammar may be incorrect, answers were given anyway. Often, people are looking for answers about
the purpose and origin of life.
1. Why do some Christians shun modern music? There are some Christians who have nothing
to do with any modern music... even contemporary Christian music. Is there any biblical evidence to support such beliefs?
Christians
understand that this earthly life is really a preparation for eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. The focus of this preparation
is the mind. It is through the mind that God communicates with us and impresses us for the development of a Christlike character.
But Satan tries to work through the body to control the mind. Anything that elevates the mind, inspires reverence and love for God
and promotes physical well being in harmony with God's word is acceptable for a Christian. Some modern music with its emphasis on
rhythm bypasses the higher faculties of the mind and stimulates the physical senses. The more often a person is controlled or stimulated
by feelings, emotions or the senses, the less willingness to study God's word and the less defense against temptations aimed at the
body.
Does the music leave you with a clearer understanding of God ? Does it increase your love for Him ? Are you inspired to
serve Him with your whole heart after listening to it ? Can you picture Jesus and the holy angels better ? Does your body like it
more than your mind ? Is your mind involved when you are listening to it ?
Biblical answer: Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever
things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there
be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
2. Why does God send the unjust
to hell or purgatory for not following his laws if he gave us the power of choice ?
God does not send anyone anywhere. First of all,
there is no one burning in hell right now and there is no such thing as purgatory. The explanation about what happens after death
from the Bible can be found here....
By the choices we make we are developing character. It is our character that determines
whether or not we can be trusted in heaven. We have been given the power of choice and the choices we make determine the kind of person
we become before we die.
The principles and laws that God has given are for the development of a beautiful character that can
be safely trusted in heaven. If the sum total of a person's lifetime of choices leaves them under the control of the human weakness
of selfishness, that person cannot be trusted in heaven.
God does not save anyone against their will or without their cooperation.
He wants to save everyone but not everyone really, truly wants to be saved. Truly being saved means being saved from oneself by the
power of God's love; saved from the principle of selfishness which every human being has within them.
God in mercy must abbreviate
the life of those whose life choices place them in bondage to the tyrant of selfishness and make them a danger to others around them.
Whenever the people of God or heathen turned away from God in the Bible, they descended into the lowest depths of depravity in self
worship. Read about it in the Old Testament: sacrificing babies on altars of fire, murder, rape, sex with animals, etc. It was terrible.
The most loving thing that God could do was to cut short their suffering and the suffering of those around them.
This will ultimately
be the result for those who reject God. All selfishness in human nature tends to an extreme conclusion. Murder of the Creator if He
can be reached. Look at the cross and what happened to Jesus.
3. Why are we on this earth ? The purpose of being born
into this world. Is there life after death ?
The purpose of being born into this world is to cooperate with God in developing a Christlike character before we die and to demonstrate
that we can be trusted in heaven. We are on this earth to help and inspire others to also prepare for heaven by cooperating with God
for character development. We are to show by our love for others that God's grace is sufficient to transform human nature. Moral excellence
is the standard to which we are to attain by God's grace through the practice of self-sacrifice and self-control. As we gain more
power over selfishness in our lives, we experience increasing levels of freedom and a deeper sense of joy.
There will be eternal
life in the kingdom of heaven but there is not life immediately after death. Check out the article explaining this.
4. Its
judgment day, you're in purgatory, are you going to heaven or hell and why??
Your hypothesis suggests that you don't want a real answer
but since the proper representation of the character of God is at stake I will give you one anyway. Purgatory is something that does
not exist according to the Bible. Since the Bible is God's word, and purgatory is simply a man-made tradition, it is likely that one
who has been misled to believe in purgatory will be unprepared for the real judgment.
Judgment day is declared to be the time
when the unjust receive their punishment. The decision about what happens to a person is made before the judgment day.
The Lord
knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:9
The danger of the purgatory concept is that it suggests the possiblity of a second chance leaving one totally unprepared for
the consequences of determined resistance against the love of God. Character cannot be changed at death or in the judgment.
The
punishment, for those who refuse the love of God and his help to gain the victory over the principle of selfishness in their lives,
is death in the lake of fire along with the devil and his agents in deception. Hell will be a lake of fire prepared for him and his
angels. After these poor souls are destroyed in the lake of fire, God is going to create a new heavens and a new earth. No one will
experience immortality burning in the flames of hell throughout the ceaseless cycles of etenity for a mere 70 years of sin, not even
Satan. It is not the punishing that will continue forever, it is the results of the punishment that is everlasting in its effect.
Satan and sinners will cease to exist forever after they have been punished.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Matthew 25:41
But the heavens and the
earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly
men. 2 Peter 3:7
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8
God's
people will be in heaven having been resurrected or translated at the second coming of Christ. The characters of all who have ever
professed to believe in Christ or God is being judged now. If found faithful, they will receive their reward when Christ returns.
You should check out these articles...
5. CHRISTIAN: If your morality originates from God then non-believers have no
morality?? agree or disagree??
My friend, true Christians don't follow a Christian morality code, true Christians follow Christ. Never
does the Bible suggest that those who are not born again have no morals. However, those who are not born again have no power or internal
incentive to strive for moral excellence. We may have morals but we don't have moral excellence and this is a prerequisite for heaven.
Many
so called "moral people" will not be in heaven. This is because most human morality is only that; human morality. This is a sort of
self-righteousness when presented to God as a reason for acceptance into his kingdom of heaven. The Bible challenges us to deal with
the principle of selfishness at work in human nature. It is stifling in its effect upon the human mind and consequently liquifies
human morality down to a watery form of good and bad deeds according to a standard of convenience.
Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23
The
righteousness of Christ alone is sufficient to guarantee an entrance into God's heavenly kingdom and it is freely credited to your
life record in heaven when you accept God's enabling grace to demonstrate in your own life the righteous principles revealed in the
character of Christ.
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20
6. The rewards in Heaven ? Is it true that the rewards
in Heaven are MUCH better than the rewards a rich person gets for their hard work and would the rewards in Heaven be the same as the
rewards a rich person gets for their hard work or are the rewards in Heaven much better ? I am very interested in knowing what kind
of rewards everybody gets when they enter the gates of Heaven
Not only are the rewards much better but there isn't enough room
or time in my answer to you to share some of the details. The single greatest enjoyment in heaven will come as a result of everyone
having a character like that of Jesus Christ. With every person being self-controlled and self-sacrificing, it will be better than
we could have imagined. To be in the presence of God who is love cannot adequately be articulated with human words.
An interesting
description of some of the activities and experiences in heaven are in an article here....
7. Regarding human love? What
could be the deepest act of human love besides giving ones life?
Dying and going into the grave is easier than living and loving your
enemies. Human love is not consistent and cannot reach its potential until it is united with divine love.
To do good to those
who hate you, persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you; to allow those whom you can easily defeat to hurt you and reject
you and then continue to be kind to them is the deepest, highest, greatest love as demonstrated by God in human flesh through Jesus
Christ.
Since Jesus was a human being and did not use any special tricks to make his human nature better, the deepest acts of
human love were revealed in His life.
8. A question for committed, genuine, Christians. Is it ok for a committed Christian
to listen to non-Christian music all day long ? I do at work. I listen by choice, not because it's here in the office (I bring in
my own personal walkman).
It is not ok for a Christian committed to living for Christ to choose to listen to non-Christian music
all day long.
It may seem ok for a Christian "in name only" or a person who is not committed to Christ to choose to listen to
non-Christian music all day long. But even they are hurting themselves.
A committed Christian is, above all things, careful
with regard to anything that may have an effect upon his or her mind. Since the mind is the center of God's work for transforming
human beings into beautiful people, anything that interferes with this work is off limits.
Does this music help you love God
more ? Does it make you more like Christ ? Does it strengthen your character ? Does it inspire you to be a better person ?
Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things
[are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are]
of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
9. If
heaven is so perfect and blissful, why was Lucifer unsatisfied?
Lucifier was not unsatisfied with heaven. He was unsatisfied
with himself; his position
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12-14
Notice Lucifer's 5 selfish statements. Once selfishness became established as a
principle in his character, heaven and the presence of God were no longer enjoyable to him. God is love and heaven is inhabited by
those who, like God, have an unselfish character of love. This is the primary reason why it is blissful.and it is not very appealing
to the selfish mind.
10. Can anyone prove to me that the bible contradicts itself ?
I am so sick of people that don't know
anything about the Bible say that it is contradictory. God is perfect and his servants know that the Bible does not contradict itself.
If anyone wants to prove this please prove it and I will convert to that religion that proves the Holy Bible contradicts itself.
The
only way to prove the Bible contradicts itself is to refuse to let the Bible explain itself.
The scriptures that have been presented
as proof of contradiction can be explained by other verses. But if a person is determined to look for inconsistencies instead of harmony
he or she will never be persuaded. What good would the revealed harmony do for the hardened heart ?
A fool hath no delight in
understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. Proverbs18:2
Here is the paradox for unbelievers; it is the motive for
reading the Bible that will determine whether one will understand or misunderstand the Bible. Bad motives blind the mind.
Wrong
motive = wrong understanding
As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to
be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2 Peter 3:16
You will find in those who attack God and the Bible the same human nature that crucified Christ. This same principle
at work in human nature is the stumbling-block in the way of understanding the Bible and God.
11. Why do we Christians
have such a hard time Accepting Gay people? So what it's a sin, what about Gambler, porn addicts, fornicatiors, Liars, thiefs. We
invite them to church, we go to prisons and we love on some of the worse people in the world and show them so much. I feel like every
time I say homo is a sin, I hide behind Christianity and allow discrimination. That eats me up inside, I'm looking for some help from
other Christians as to what to do.
We Christians don't have a hard time accepting gays or anyone for that matter.
Maybe,
people who call themselves Christians are having a hard time accepting them.
True Christians, however, do not have to accept,
endorse, embrace or encourage any practice that the Bible describes sinful, self-destructive behavior.
The misunderstanding
comes when people take personal the rejection of their lifestyle habits. Sometimes, well meaning individuals speak or act too strongly
against the sin and misrepresent the character of God.
Acceptance of the sinner does not have to be acceptance of the sin. Rejection
of the sin is not rejection of the sinner.
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself
pure. 1 Timothy 5:22
12. Christian, did you investigate Christianity before becoming a Christian or after? What kind of
investigation ? Or did you not investigate it? If not, were you just brainwashed to believe it ? Did you read the whole bible before
becoming a Christian?
1. Having a "feeling" is not an investigation
2. Having unexplained experiences is not an investigation
3.
Hearing voices is not an investigation
4. Hallucinating is not an investigation
5. Having "faith" is not an investigation
If
you didn't investigate it, how do you know it's true?
I did not become a Christian by investigation even though I read the Bible
before I was a Christian.
Investigation and facts do not transform people into Christians. These might prevail to make really intellectual,
religious people but not Christians.
A person cannot make his or herself a Christian. Only God, by His love, is able to move
upon a person's heart and bring about the change in their thoughts and feelings to begin the Christian life.
Becoming a Christian
is an experience; the experience of repentance and sorrow for a selfish life and selfish words and deeds. The slumbering conscience
is awakened to respond to God's call for moral excellence and character development as outlined in the Bible.
The beauty of
character in Christ and God as contrasted with the selfishness and pride of my human nature cannot be quantified in a laboratory because
worldly science is opposed to such humility of man.
The individual submits to the claims of God upon the conscience and a change
takes place. Humility takes the place of pride and arrogance making possible the communication of God with that person by consistent,
periodic impressions on the conscience.
The great stumbling-block, the dilemma for the rejector of God is within that person.
The greater that person's opinion of their own intelligence or ability the less will he or she understand about God.
The wrong
tools are being applied in the investigation of God, therefore the wrong results will always follow. Contrary to arrogant human reasoning
and with all due respect, the limited human mind, apart from divine assistance, is not a very good investigative tool for measuring
God.
Humility and a willingness to acknowledge and surrender to the impressions made upon the conscience are how you investigate
God's existence.
Who is prepared for the challenge ? Who is willing to admit that his or her mind is not the supreme intelligence
? Who is willing to accept the possibility that the mind of God is superior to his or her own mind ? Who will submit to the test of
personal experience ? The personal experience can be quite accurately estimated by the character of the individual.
A true conversion
to Christ is an inward experience that is revealed outwardly in the conduct in accordance with right principles that can be seen by
all; not sometime or every now and then but consistently throughout the life with increasing brightness.
Thus saith the LORD,
Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich [man] glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise loving-kindness,
judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23,24
13. Why did
God make women Inferior to men? He created us as equals, but when Eve gave Adam the Apple, God decided that men would be superior
to Chicks. Then he kicked us out of the Garden of Eden. Thanks to Chicks, we are living in this Hell called earth when we could have
been living in the Kingdom of Heaven, that's why God made Chicks inferior.
There are some things that we know are not recorded anywhere
in any Bible verse.
Eve gave Adam an apple.
Adam was forced to take the apple.
God decided that women should be inferior to men.
We
are living in this earth instead of heaven because of women.
There are no verses that agree with these statements.
However, there
are verses in the Bible that show the following...
Eve gave Adam fruit and Adam chose to take it.
Men have treated women as inferior
to men.
We are living in this earth instead of heaven because of an inherited predisposition to selfishness, a me first syndrome -
sin which must be overcome with God's help before we die or Christ returns.
Some try to use this verse to prove women inferior....
(1
Peter 3:7) Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Weaker and inferior are not necessarily
the same thing. Weakness is one area does not take into account strength in another area. Gold is a materially weaker metal than iron.
Does this mean gold is inferior to iron ?
On the question of one submitting to the other, there is a stipulation before submission
is to be expected. It is often overlooked.
(Colossians 3:18) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in
the Lord.
Sometimes, it is not "fit in the Lord" to submit or else this would never have been included in the scriptures.
After
sin, because of the change in human nature, God required the conditional submission of the one to the other as part of His plan for
the restoration of character. Humility and self-control would be required by both.
Men have tried to twist many scriptures to
their advantage, misrepresenting God and abusing women. This does not mean God approves of it.
14. Why do people have
such a problem with God? Why do people always have strong views against Christianity? everyone always seem to hate Christians, what
have we ever done to you?
One of the main reasons people may have a problem with God is because of the misrepresentation of His character
by "so called Christians" and the twisting and distorting of Bible verses out of context.
I am a Christian and I would be angry
too if someone kept telling me that I was going to hell if I did not do what they told me to do.
We have too often hurt people with
erroneous and misleading interpretations of scripture and bad representations of God by our own inconsistent lives.
Why are we
telling people that they will go to hell or heaven right after they die when the Bible that we believe in never teaches such a thing
?
Why are we telling people that there are people in hell right now and that the wicked will burn for eternity when this is
not what the Bible teaches ? These are evil teachings especially when used to scare people to God.
Instead of creating fear
of punishment we should be inspiring with descriptions of the beauty and excellence of Christ and His kingdom in heaven
Why are
we telling people that they must obey rules instead of explaining why God requires obedience ?
In a great measure we have not
lived out the principles of righteousness in our own lives and have expected people to be attracted to a religion or a God that can't
help us to have self-control and to be self-sacrificing.
The apparent contradictions in the Bible can be explained by context,
the verses themselves, the principles of enlargement and repetition as well as many other clear rules for rightly dividing the word
of truth.
We need more of the spirit of Christ in our own lives and then we won't have to say so much with our lips.
15.How come many people say they're Christians but don’t act like it?? Many of my friends have home-cells, always go to church, always
read the Bible and it really seems like they’re strong believers, but on weekends they party too much and drink too much and make
out with the nearest person, but the next day they’re in the church telling others how to live. Why do they do this and how can I
stop it ?
They are not Christians if they are partying and drinking. If they are doing anything that misrepresents the character
of Christ or God then they are not Christians.
This is one of the main reasons people decide against Christianity.
A person
cannot make his or herself a Christian by human effort.
A conversion to God is experienced when the individual no longer resists
the impressions upon the conscience that God makes. An acknowledgement of one's selfishness and a sorrow for one's sinfulness is part
of the experience. Consideration of the love God as revealed in Christ leads to repentance.
A sorrow for sin and a turning away
from it with God's help is genuine repentance. As a part of this experience, God imparts new desires, new motives and new purposes
into the persons thoughts and feelings. This is what it means to become a Christian. This is the beginning of the Christian life.
Not perfection but on the pathway towards it; moral excellence in preparation for heaven.
No person who has had this experience
will purposely and without sorrow, continue choosing to do anything that prevents a clear picture of the character of Christ from
being revealed in his or her conduct or behavior.
You cannot stop them but they can stop themselves with God's help if they
want to. The best thing for you to do is to be a consistent example of true Christianity and don't allow them to influence you to
dishonor your Creator.
Do good to them and pray for them but don't endorse or encourage by your presence, words, deeds or silence
their misrepresentation of God.
16. A good Christian????? please help? If someone goes to church every Sunday and keeps
the rules of his/her religion but shows little concern for justice and peace are they considered a good Christian ? What if they go
to confession does that make them a better Christian ?
Anyone can be "considered" a good Christian. It depends on who is doing the
considering.
To be considered a Christian and to really be a Christian are not necessarily the same thing. One is determined
by what others think of you and the other is determined by what you really are.
In order to actually be a Christian, a person
must have an awakened conscience which is under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit. He or she must be asking for and receiving
each day, the grace of God to live a Christ-like life. The genuine Christian is trusting in God's power to keep them from doing wrong
and to enable them to do right.
In order to be "considered" a Christian, a person just has to make a claim to the name and follow
religious rules including church attendance. He doesn't even really have to do this. If people think he or she is a Christian because
he/she or someone else says so, then they can be considered a Christian.
No commitment is necessary. No need to change any bad
habits. No need to aim for anything higher. Character development not required. Don't aim to be “considered a Christian”. Actually
be a Christian.
17. To people who are Christian and know their God stuff. Is masturbation a sin? Honestly.
Yes it is. Any
selfish gratification of fleshly lusts lessens the mind's ability and desire to communicate with God or to please Him.
(1 Peter
2:11) Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
(Romans
13:14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].
(Romans 7:25) I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The
gratification of lusts of the flesh works against the development of the beautiful Christlike character which God wants you to have.
18. Was Jesus a sinner for breaking the Sabbath and allowing his disciples to break the Sabbath too? I keep hearing from
Christians that the Sabbath is a "Day for the Lord", but Jesus says (when caught breaking the Sabbath) that the Sabbath was made for
man, and not man for the Sabbath.. so which is it ?
Jesus never broke the Sabbath. No Bible verse states that He ever did. Jesus kept
the Sabbath in a way that conflicted with man-made traditions concerning the Sabbath.
Jesus' disciples never broke the Sabbath.
No Bible verse states that they ever did.
Since Jesus nor His disciples ever broke the Sabbath according to the Bible, then
the answer to your question is a double no; Jesus was not a sinner and Jesus did not break the Sabbath.
19. Do the self
proclaimed leaders of atheism worship themselves when they look in the mirror?
I don't think they do and I am a Christian. I think
we all, Christians, atheists, deists, antichrists, etc., have a common flaw in our human nature - selfishness.
It blinds us
to ourselves and makes us unkind in our conduct, whether speech or action, toward others.
If we are looking in a mirror, at
least there is a chance that we might see what may be wrong with ourselves.
20. What happens after you die??
It all depends
on who you trust for information. If you believe that the first human beings were created by GOD as stated in the Bible, then you
know that according to the Bible nothing happens immediately after death. That's right, absolutely nothing. You remain in the grave
until either the first or the second resurrection. According to the Bible, when a person dies, the thoughts cease and the breath of
life returns to God. (Psalms 146:4) Neither heaven nor hell is an immediate experience after death. Even many religious people have
not studied the Bible enough on their own to understand this.
However, if you don't believe that GOD is CREATOR, then you do
not know, for sure, what will happen after death. Most every form of religion, not based upon Bible teaching, asserts that a part
of every human being continues to live on after death; that we never really die. It is explained that the soul lives on. This in essence
is immortality. Are human beings immortal ? Is there something inside human beings that is immortal ? Whether you believe in God or
not, it may interest you to know that the devil has something to say about death and it is recorded in the Bible. According to him,
and he was the first one to say so, you never really die. In the Bible, the first conversation about death was between Eve and the
serpent. The serpent was being used as a medium of communication by the devil.
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat
of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall
not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (GENESIS 3:2-4)
God had said that Adam and Eve would die if they ate fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil but the serpent had said they
would not surely die. God's words indicated that they were mortal and the serpent's words suggested that they were immortal. You can
read the rest of it there
21. Are there any Bible quotations that directly condemn gambling?
He that hasteth to be rich
[hath] an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. Proverbs 28:22
Moreover it is required in stewards,
that a man be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he
that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.Proverbs 23:4
A
faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs 28:20
Wealth [gotten]
by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. Proverbs 13:11
For the love of money is the root
of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy
6:10
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Mark
10:25
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
[Let your] conversation [be] without
covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
For
we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith
content. 1 Timothy 6:7,8
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the
true [riches] ? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own ? No servant
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:11-13
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor COVETOUS man, who is an
idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:5
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, Nor thieves, nor COVETOUS, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians
6:9,10
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, COVETOUSNESS,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: Mark 7:21,22
Take heed, and beware of COVETOUSNESS:
for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15
Therefore to him that knoweth
to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin. James 4:17
22. Why would "GOD" give us the gift of free will at birth
and then punish us for using it ? Any "CHRISTIAN" have agood explination of that? I mean, wouldn't that be like daddy saying ...here
is a brand new car, but I will kill you if you ever choose to use it ! "
If Daddy gives you a new car and you choose to run your
borthers and sisters over with it, should Daddy just let you keeping mowing them down with your car ?
Should Daddy correct your
brothers and sisters for complaining about the injuries that they have suffered because you choose to run them over with your car
?
Yes, God gives us the power of choice and freedom of will but that does not mean that the kind of person we choose to become
has to be allowed into heaven.
If we choose not to cooperate with God in developing a beautiful character before we die, is it
right to force Him to accept us into heaven where everyone there will be self-sacrificing and self-controlled ?
What about the
free will of those who choose to have a character like that of Jesus Christ ? Should they be forced against their will to live with
those who reject God and Jesus ? Is that fair ?
Selfishness is the cause of all the sorrow, suffering and sadness in our world
and those who choose not to conquer it by God's grace are placing themselves out of hamony with Him and every one who loves Him.
Sin
and selfishness must meet their final punishment but not in any eternal burning hell fire as is falsely taught by so many and found
no where in the Bible.
23.
Looking for serious answers. Why is homosexuality against everyone's religion? Yes I'm straight.
No, I'm not trying to be a smart@ss. I really don't understand. I don't understand why God would hate someone just because they like
the same sex. Please don't tell me it's because "it's not natural". I've read it's actually a chemical imbalance between estrogen
and testosterone. Can you shed some light please? And you don't have to agree with me, I'll give the best answer to whoever answers
the best, even if it's not what I believe. Thanks.
There is no text in the Bible that states God hates homosexuals.
The
Bible does, however, identify the sexual interaction of two members of the same sex as an abomination.
The act is an abomination
not the actor. In essence what we are facing in society today is a plea for the acceptance of an act which God calls an abomination.
If a person believes that the Bible is the word of God and that God is the Creator, His words in the Bible identifying the sexual
act as an abomination are accepted as true.
According to God, human beings were created by Him with their sexual orientation
pre-programmed by HIm. Therefore, the sexual preference for another person of the same sex is a matter of choice. God condemns the
choice, (not the person) as sinful.
The current worldly view is that homosexuality or lesbianism is a genetic inheritance and
the person can't help his or herself because he or she was born that way. So it comes down to every individual's decision to either
believe what God is saying or what some in modern society are saying.
24. Is there a heaven...? I learned that our creator
was a small spot of energy that doesn’t have a form, about the half the size of your thumb..and it coudn’t hold itself together with
such power that created the big bang, it all expanded sent gas and cooled down and created the galaxies...then came evolution of bacteria
to you know the rest...and that such...so...if he himself was made of this that we are...is there a heaven....or is it just another
place like this that we go to...?
Yes and we should cooperate with God to develop a Chistlike character because a Christlike character
is the only kind of character that would enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that can be trusted in heaven.
When you
understand what heaven will be like it is easy to see that the person who does not prepare for heaven will have made the most awesome
mistake of his life
Here is a description of heaven...
25. Who is the most respected scientist - preferably a biologist
- that supports creationism? I am honestly interested. Is there a well-respected biologist or a scientist from another relevant discipline
- that advocates intelligent design creationism?
Here is a partial listing from more than 200.names
A SCIENTIFIC DISSENT
FROM DARWINISM
“We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity
of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.”
This list is publicly updated on a quarterly
basis. Scientists listed by doctoral degree or current position.
Philip Skell Emeritus, Evan Pugh Prof. of Chemistry Pennsylvania
State University Member of the National Academy of Sciences
Lyle H. Jensen Professor Emeritus Dept. of Biological Structure &
Dept. of Biochemistry University of Washington, Fellow AAAS
Maciej Giertych Full Professor, Institute of Dendrology Polish Academy
of Sciences
Lev Beloussov Prof. of Embryology, Honorary Prof., Moscow State University Member, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences
Eugene
Buff Ph.D. Genetics Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Emil Palecek Prof. of Molecular Biology,
Masaryk University; Leading Scientist Inst. of Biophysics, Academy of Sci., Czech Republic
K. Mosto Onuoha Shell Professor of
Geology & Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Univ. of Nigeria Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Science
Henry Schaefer Director, Center for
Computational Quantum Chemistry University of Georgia
Russell Carlson Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology University
of Georgia
Michael Behe Professor of Biological Science Lehigh University
Alan Linton Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology University
of Bristol
Dean Kenyon Emeritus Professor of Biology San Francisco State University
David W. Forslund Ph.D. Astrophysics,
Princeton University Fellow of American Physical Society
Robert W. Bass Ph.D. Mathematics (also: Rhodes Scholar; Post-Doc at
Princeton) Johns Hopkins University
Daniel W. Heinze Ph.D. Geophysics (also: Post-Doc Fellow, Carnegie Inst. of Washington) Texas
A&M University
William Dembski Ph.D. Mathematics University of Chicago
David Chapman* Senior Scientist Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Giuseppe Sermonti Professor of Genetics, Ret. (also: Editor, Rivista di Biologia/Biology Forum) University of Perugia
(Italy)
Stanley Salthe Emeritus Professor Biological Sciences Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Donald
Ewert Ph.D. Microbiology University of Georgia
Bernard d'Abrera Visiting Scholar, Department of Entomology British Museum (Natural
History)
Mae-Wan Ho Ph.D. Biochemistry Hong Kong University
Scott Minnich Professor, Dept of Microbiology, Molecular Biology &
Biochemistry University of Idaho
Jeffrey Schwartz Assoc. Res. Psychiatrist, Dept. of Psychiatry & Bio-behavioral Sciences
University of California, Los Angeles
Ralph Seelke Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology University of Wisconsin, Superior
Annika
Parantainen Ph.D. Biology University of Turku (Finland)
Now
Read This...
And then check this out....
A Mathematician's View of Evolution
By: Granville Sewell
The Mathematical Intelligencer
22, no. 4 (2000), pp5-7
July 7, 2006
The entire article can be read at
http://www.math.utep.edu/Faculty/sewell/...
This will be
helpful too...
or
26. Fact! Did
you know that there are NO atheists in hell?
Yes. This is true. There are several reasons why there are no atheists burning in hell
is because there is no hell fire burning.
Those who die do not go anywhere immediately after death. Check this out for yourself...
Another
reason atheists who have permanently chosen to reject the love of God are not burning in hell right now is because punishment for
everyone that is lost does not occur until after the judgment.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment:
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the
day of judgment to be punished:
Another reason why atheists in general are not in hell is because God loves them and understands
that many of them have a misconception about Him. Therefore, He is doing everything possible to try and enlighten them before their
characters become fixed by their own choices.
Many atheists will allow their hearts and minds to be changed by the love of God
as it is revealed to them by genuine, converted Christians. There are several reasons why one becomes an atheist. Lies about an eternally
burning hell, fake Christians, misinterpretations of the Bible and hard to understand circumstances may have contributed to this unfortunate
situation.
The door is not yet closed to them or many others for that matter. A general close of probation for all of humanity
is yet future but nearing every day.
Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let
him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
A final
reason, I would like to suggest is the simple fact that many atheists have simply never been exposed to the beauty of a Christ-like
spirit and an understanding of what heaven is like. Many unstudied Christians and professed Christians don't know either.
Since
the beauty and attractiveness of these things has not been presented to them clearly, God is still working to try and reach them with
this information that they may be able to make informed choices; good or bad.
27. Theological Query ? Could someone furnish me
with clarification on how it is that right wing Christians condone and support a "Holy War" or as the Prez has termed it (Crusade)
in the killing of thousands of innocent children and women by our troops in Iraq, especially in light of the fact that the 9/11 Commission
and various members of the Republican leadership have determined Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11 ? I am unable to find or discern
any passages in the New and Old Testaments of my Good Book, where Jesus would have ordered the murdering of innocent children and
women in His Good Name. Is it possible that there is a Christian bible out there that includes chapters where Jesus orders the killing
of the innocent in His name? The 1st ed of the KJB included 11 commandments whereby reformed Protestants were to obey thy Monarch,
but even they did not accept this edition at it was revised back to Moses' original 10. Many thanks. Please remain objective; fundamentalists
need not reply. Thank u.
The people you refer to may be termed "right wing" but it may be a little presumptuous to call them
Christians. This is the essential point of clarification
No Jesus does not condone, endorse or command the killing of innocent
men, women or children anywhere in the Bible.
In the Old Testament, many people's lives, (including some of the children of Israel)
were abbreviated either by God removing His protection or by God’s people joining with other nations and self-destructing whenever
they turned from the pure, holy worship of God to the degrading practices involved with sun worship.
The lives that were cut
short by God were suffering the pain and bondage that human selfishness always leads to.
The people were offering children on
altars of fire to sun gods, having sex with animals, committing incest and many other wicked things outlined in Deuteronomy. In mercy
to them and those directly affected by them, God shortened their earthly existence. He put an end to their misery and suffering.
Jesus
Christ is a perfect revelation of the character of God; and a Christian is someone who is striving by God's grace to present a clearer
and clearer revelation of the character of Christ.
28. What should I say if I get to Heaven? (see more)? Suppose for a moment
I get saved and believe in Jesus and eventually die and go to heaven...I imagine myself having a conversation with God: God, I'm here
but I don't think I could ever be happy. Why? says God Because my I know my Mother, Father and Sisters are in Hell because they remained
athiests and agnostics 'till their deaths. They were all wonderful people who helped humanity all through their lives. They were kind
and loving people, but were never convinced there was any evidence to believe in you (they did not know). Ah!, says God, I am too
Holy to have non-believers in my presence. That is why it must be this way. Are you not God?, I say, why did you create things so?
Why did you chose to create things this way? Why didn't you just NOT create those souls, knowing that they would suffer? I am not
sure who will be in more pain... my family, or I - knowing that they will suffer forever.
When you die, you don't go right to
heaven or hell or purgatory. You don't go anywhere according to the Bible.
God has given us the power and freedom to make choices.
Our choices determine the kind of person we become. Our choices determine the type of character that we develop.
The qualification
for entrance into heaven is a beautiful Christ-like character developed by God's grace not merely good human deeds.
In order
to enjoy heaven and in order to be safely trusted with eternal life in heaven, a person must develop with God's help, a beautiful
Christ-like character. You can understand why this would be necessary when you have a better understanding of what heaven is going
to be like...
God saves no one against their will or without their cooperation.
29. My thoughts on homosexuality
and what religion says vs. what we think? Let me just get a few points here before I ask my question/express my thoughts.
-I am not
a homosexual,
-and my religion does condemn it.
Now, I ask those who believe homosexuality is wrong, sinful, shouldn't even exist
ETC. Let's say you think it's wrong, your religion does, and so on. My question is, even if YOU think it's wrong, YOU don't support
it, why stop others from being it? My question is why people don't take care of themselves. People being homosexual does not effect
you. If they get married and you see them holding hands, so what? Are your eyes going to be burned by God? No, and you'll be fine
too. What you should care about is your stance on life, how you are religious, etc. Why does someone else being gay/lesbian hurt you?
Let
me get this straight...I don't think homosexuality is right OR wrong, because I don't feel we have received enough scientific evidence
to prove one cannot help from being a homosexual.
Please let me know what you think about this.
First, a point of clarification;
what people think (opinion), what religion says, and what is in the Bible are not necessarily the same thing.
There is no text
in the Bible that states God hates homosexuals.
The Bible does, however, identify the sexual interaction of two members of the
same sex as an abomination.
The act is an abomination not the actor. In essence what we are facing in society today is a plea
for the acceptance of an act which God calls an abomination.
If a person believes that the Bible is the word of God and that
God is the Creator, His words in the Bible identifying the sexual act as an abomination are accepted as true.
According to God,
human beings were created by Him with their sexual orientation pre-programmed by Him. Therefore, the sexual preference for another
person of the same sex is a matter of choice. God condemns the choice and the act, (not the person) as sinful.
If we accept the
Bible as the book of principles for the development of character preparatory to entering heaven, then we know that everyone's actions
and words have an influence upon others.
Wrong principles = wrong influence. Right principles = right influence.
Homosexuality
and every sin for that matter has an influence on someone's thoughts and feelings. The misunderstanding that many have concerning
this is precisely at this point.
Sin does not take place in a vacuum. Nor is it a static force. Our views of life and how we conduct
ourselves does have an impact on ourselves and others.
Does homosexuality promote the general health, moral excellence and noble
purposes of those involved in it ?
On the contrary, there is a general lowering of the standard of morality to accommodate the
acts and to lessen opposition to it. .
The current worldly view is that homosexuality or lesbianism is a genetic inheritance
and the person can't help his or herself because he or she was born that way. So it comes down to every individual's decision to either
believe what God is saying or what some in modern society are saying.
Each of us is free to choose who or what we are going to
believe and accept the consequences that follow.
30. Religious Paradox proving god doesn’t exist? I'm sure you all heard
this before. "Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy that even that being could not lift it?" If so, then it seems that
the being could cease to be omnipotent; if not, it seems that the being was not omnipotent to begin with" Your thoughts?
Here is the
real paradox.
If the human mind has a natural predisposition against God. Will the human mind try to love and understand God
?
Can the love of God be measured by the mind of man ?
Here is another...
It is the motive for reading the Bible that
determines whether one will understand or misunderstand the Bible.
Wrong motives = wrong understanding
Right motives = right understanding
God
can do what He chooses to do and yet there are things that He chooses not to do such as override your free will to indulge idle speculation
or He can choose to answer questions that may ultimately contribute to the development of your character.
31. I've got
to convert my atheist girlfriend to be a Christian, how? She doesn't know I'm Christian, and we've been going out for 1 1/2 years
now, I can't let her burn in hell. She freaks out every time I even mention anything that has anything to do with religion. A good
website giving intelligible insight, or something frightening. Don't recommend thetruthabouthell.com because I've already tried it
(logged onto a mystery account and gave it to her) and people reject that site a lot because they are being arrogant @$$holes that
think they know the answer to everything about life. But I need something, anything, please.
You cannot convert her to be a Christian.
Only God is able to convert someone into a Christian.
First, examine yourself in comparison with Jesus Christ. Have you been
asking for God's grace to make you more like Him in character ? Has your girlfriend been exposed to the beauty of Christ's character
as she has been in company with you ?
A living representation of the character of Christ is more effective than the most eloquent
words in argument or debate.
Many Christians fail of demonstrating the attractiveness of their Christian experience and thus
their life has no appeal.
Do not say anything about going to church.
Do not tell her she is going to hell if she is lost
Do not
try scare tactics or condescending words.
Do not talk about things that must be given up
Do talk about how much better you feel
for following God's laws of health
Do talk about how much more sympathy God has placed in your heart for others
Do talk
hopeful
Do talk of the love of God as you have discovered it personally and in the Bible
Humble yourself and exhibit the
beauty of Christ's character in practical courtesy, kindness and pleasantness of disposition.
Cry out to the Lord and ask Him
to make the joy of the Lord your strength. Consistent cheerfulness and joy has a charm that is irresistible. If Christ is everything
to you, He will become everything to her. You, yourself must be converted in order for this to happen.
If you are truly a Christian,
then you know that at some point you will have to let her know that your conscience is surrendered to the authority of God with the
purpose of obtaining moral excellence and being made fit for heaven. Tell her that you would like to be her escort into the presence
of God.
Christianity would not be so distasteful if there were not so many who were "pretending to be Christians". You don't
want to give her the impression that you are one of those types.
It is manly to do right and real women are looking for real
men.
Talk to her of the kingdom that you are preparing for. If you don't know how to describe it, here's some help...
Whatever
Christ asks us to renounce, He offers us something better in its stead.
Most women have some moral inclination. She will respect you
if you tell her that by faith in Christ, you are striving for moral excellence and the development of a beautiful character.
Don't
just say these things... Actually live them and do them. If she has any affection for you, Christ will win her heart. Look for opportunities
to do good to her and be willing to listen and hear what she has to say. Ask God for wisdom for yourself.
Pray to God about
her and ask Him to soften her heart.
32. How is it possible to equate a loving god with eternal torment? Regardless of
the reasons? Do you also glorify a parent that beats their child for misdeeds as well?
It is not possible to equate a loving
God with eternal torment. The Bible doesn't even do it. Why would you or anyone else do that ?
First of all, eternal torment
may be a teaching but it is not a teaching of the Bible. No verse or scripture suggests that those who reject Christ are going to
suffer trillions of centuries in the fires of hell. It simply is not there. If you can prove it from the Bible send me the verses.
However, God does not save anyone against their will or without their cooperation. If a person does not choose to cooperate
with God, before they die, to develop a Christ-like character, God will not force them to go to heaven.
A Christ-like character
is the only kind of character that could enjoy heaven and the only kind that could be safely trusted in heaven.
Those who refuse
to yield to the love of God and be changed before death will die the second death in the lake of fire. After this punishment, the
individual will cease to exist.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
No one is going
to be given the gift of immortality so that they will be able to burn forever. There will be no eternal life in flames.
The most
merciful thing for God to do for the person that does not choose or want God's help to conquer the principle of selfishness in his
or her life...
The most merciful thing that God could do for that person is to abbreviate their life.
All selfishness in
human nature tends toward an extreme conclusion; murder. This is the mystery of the cross and the revelation of the human heart in
hostility towards the Creator.
33. Did Creation really happen in just seven days? I was just wondering how many people
think seven days in the Bible means the days as we know them? I think it's difficult to tell what the Bible means when talking about
length of time.
Creation happened in six days and on the 7th day God rested. This is the origin of the 7 day week (not the names of
the week) and the 7th day Sabbath and it would be meaningless if the days were not literal.
It is not difficult to understand
but it may be difficult for human nature to believe.
Unbelief stands in the way of much understanding.
Why would the Creator
need millions of years to create the world when He can create a new heart in a moment ?
34. Do Christians actually believe
in all the incest and inbreeding in the bible? If what they claim is true, that all people came from the first man and woman, Adam
and Eve then that means that after A & E had kids, then the kids (brothers and sisters) hooked up to perpetuate the human species.
All mankind comes from generations of incest and inbreeding!
We do believe that Adam was the first man and Eve was the first
woman and that all humanity descended from them. (AFTER SIN) What human beings do not know or understand is what might have been the
condition of life if there was no sin. How would procreation have been different ? One thing we know for certain is that if Adam and
Even had not sinned, the reproductive process for the multiplication of the human race would have remained divinely pure and would
have more clearly reflected the purposes of God.
There is something else that we know as well - It became sinful and incestuous
after man's mind became degraded. Apparently, the thinking of human beings had continued to degenerate so much that the Lord found
it necessary to clearly forbid it.
Notice that it is you who has attached the word incest to that which God had originally designated
as lawful. God designated it sinful after the mind of man had become depraved.
Therein lies your dilemma. It is the motives
for reading the Bible that determines whether one will understand or misunderstand the Bible.
Wrong motives = wrong understanding
Right
motives = right understanding
If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong and the thoughts and the feelings combined
make up the moral character.
The mind that resists truth will see everything in a perverted light.
The word of God is unreasonable
to the natural, depraved state of human nature. Selfishness cannot grasp the incomprehensible love of God even when it is right in
front of its face.
If the human mind has a predisposition against God, will the human mind try to love and understand God ?
It
is not logical. It is utterly ridiculous and counterintuitive to think so.
35. Are Christians against. abortion ? and
does it say that in the Bible?
True Christians are against whatever God is against. His opinion about abortion is expressed in
the Bible. The Bible states: "thou shalt not kill"
Some people, who say they are Christians believe that abortions are acceptable
under certain circumstances. These people believe in situation ethics. Their moral principles depend upon the situations or circumstances
of life.
36. Do you think God has parents?
No. God does not have parents. If you believe in God and believe that the Bible
is His word, then you know that He does not have a beginning.
HE IS THE BEGINNING.
Isaiah 45:5 I [am] the LORD, and [there
is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye
saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.
37. What do you believe in?For me it is that
God created the world about 6,000 years ago, and that He sent His Son to die for us and rose again in 3 days just so we could get
saved and go to heaven. So I am basically a independent, fundamental, Bible-believing (the KJV version) Baptist Christian. It is kinda
weird that what I believe entails so much, but that is b/c of so many different religions out there, that if I don't specify it exactly
then what I believe in, it can be interpreted as something else. By the way, this question isn't meant for an argument on whose religion
is correct or anything, but just to see what different forms are out there. ( Although it is highly improbable that anyone will change
my mind.)
I believe essentially the same things. We may differ regarding the destiny of the lost. I have found no scriptures to suggest
that those who reject the love of Jesus Christ will burn for trillions of centuries in eternal hell fire.
I believe this false
teaching has done a lot of damage. It is a misrepresentation of the character of God.
I do believe that Jesus died to provide forgiveness
of sins and He was resurrected and lives to give us power to overcome sin.
I believe that the qualification for heaven is a Christlike
character because a Christlike character is the only kind of character that would enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that
could be safely trusted in heaven.
As we cooperate with God, praying for and receiving His grace each day, He helps us to develop
this character before we die.
According to the Bible, the character cannot be changed after death, during the judgment or in
the resurrection. The kind of person that we have become before we die is the same person that will be resurrected to meet Jesus or
face the final judgment.
I believe that while God loves everyone and will forgive anyone, He will not a single one against their
will or without their cooperation.
38. Which is the most intolerant of the major Religions of the world?
I don't know if
such a religion has a particular name but I can tell you which one is the most intolerant.
It is the religion that teaches people
to hate or speak unkindly to others because of what they believe.
It is the religion that teaches its adherents to make others
feel as if they are not intelligent
It is the religion that mocks the beliefs of others
It is the religion that does not
have an uplifting influence.
It is the religion that offers no hope for the future
It is the religion that tries to ignore
the past
It is the religion that does not exalt right principles
It is the religion that does not have moral excellence
as its goal
It is the religion that points the finger at other religions calling them by name when you ask the question - "which
is the most intolerant religion of the major religions of the world"
It is the religion founded upon the shaky foundation of
human opinion
It is the religion that does not require commitment from those who accept it
It is the religion of the convenient
It
is the religion of the majority and emphasizes the number of its adherents
It is the religion requiring no self-sacrifice and
no self-control
It is the religion that does not require a change in the character or conduct of its adherents.
It is the
religion that does not elevate humanity.
It is the religion of selfishness
39. If you have commited the unpardonable
sin can you be saved if you are born again and accept jesus??
Luke 12:10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it
shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
It this that has been referred
to as the unpardonable sin.
The unpardonable sin is committed against the Holy Spirit. It is not pardonable because the Holy
Spirit is the one that leads a person to seek pardon and if the Holy Spirit has been rejected He cannot do the work of leading a person
to feel his or her need of forgiveness. No felt need of forgiveness = no forgiveness
Therefore it is called the unpardonable
sin because the person who has committed it does not desire to be pardoned and one responsible for leading a person to have this desire
has been rejected.
No one can be born again or accept Jesus unless he or she acknowledges and surrenders to the impressions that
the Holy Spirit makes upon his or her conscience.
It is not possible be born again, accept Jesus and commit the unpardonable
sin all at the same time.
No person can be saved if he or she commits the unpardonable sin. The person who is born again and
accepts Jesus, continuing to reflect His character cannot and does not commit the unpardonable sin.
The person who is born again
is supplied with power to resist sin and has no desire to continue in slavery to sin.
If you are concerned about committing the
unpardonable sin, this is evidence that you have not committed the unpardonable sin.
Only the Holy Spirit could cause you to
be concerned about sin.
We can be saved so long as we want to be saved and cooperate with God in order to be saved.
40.If guardian angels were real and doing their job nobody would come to grief would they? Therefore they are either not real or not
doing the job advertised on the pack.
(Psalms 91:11) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. This
does not imply - "in all thy selfish ways"
Guardian angels, just like God and Jesus Christ are limited by the freedom of choice
which has been given to every human being.
While there are holy angels that exist, there are also evil angels too. Here is what
the Bible reveals about the evil angels...
(Revelation 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Notice
how Jesus confirmed the existence of evil angels...
(Matthew 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
that human beings make, each of us chooses
who will have the greater influence over our lives for the development of a character and whose side we are really on - Satan's or
Christ's. If we are daily choosing to let God change our character in preparation for heaven, we are assured the protection of the
holy angels. If we are choosing not to accept God's love and help to overcome the principle of selfishness in our lives, we virtually
invite the presence and control of evil angels.
By rejecting God's love as revealed in Christ Jesus and His plan to develop in
us a beautiful character, we also reject His protection and watch care over us.
Guardian angels are doing their job for those
who will let them and for those who are walking in the ways of righteousness and truth but evil angels are also doing a work too which
many are giving them permission to do.
41. Who gets to go to heaven? With so many religions, how can any one religion
claim to be the only one that gets in?
It's not religion that gets one into heaven.
The qualification for heaven is a Christ-like
character. A Christ-like character is the only kind of character that would enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that could
be safely trusted in heaven.
This character may be developed before a person dies if he or she chooses to cooperate with God
throughout their lifetime in striving for moral excellence.
God will not take religions to heaven; it is people who will live
there. But the people who will be there will not be controlled by the principle of selfishness.
42. Its about evolution?
when was the last evolution of any species, if there has been none since the last. Are there any species evolving right now, Why haven’t
homo sapiens evolved since their last evolution???
Evolution is not taking place right now. Those who say that it is are merely
expressing an opinion not supported by facts. Often evolution is a religion chosen as an alternate to Christianity.
Both Christianity
and evolution are religions of faith.
It requires great faith to believe that the DNA code is an accident as a result of a big
bang explosion of nothing caused by nothing.
It requires faith to believe in an intelligent, benevolent Creator as the originator
of all things.
Why is there not a corresponding increase of moral excellence seen in human beings if we are evolving ?
If
we were evolving from simpler to more complex, we should see a trend toward increasing character development.
Intellectual advancement
without character development and improvement is not evolution but degeneration.
Evolution is a scientific religion based on
a theory that is not supported by facts.
Some claim mutations are part of the evolutionary process. Ask any evolutionist if he
or she would volunteer for enough radiation doses to try and produce a beneficial mutation.
The religion of evolution teaches
people how to make monkeys out of themselves.
It must be believed just as Christianity or any other religion.
What are the
chances that evolution is taking place or has ever occured ? This may prove informative.
A Mathematician's View of Evolution
By:
Granville Sewell
The Mathematical Intelligencer 22, no. 4 (2000), pp5-7
July 7, 2006
You might also be interested in these from
scientists.
W.A. Dembski, The Design Inference: Eliminating Chance through Small Probabilities (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1998).
Michael Behe, Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution (The Free Press, 1996).
William Dembski,
No Free Lunch: Why Specified Complexity Cannot be Purchased without Intelligence (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002).
Michael
Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Adler & Adler, 1985). (Mr. Denton is a molecular biologist)
It all comes down to what
one chooses to believe.
43. Is that true that Christians are trying to hide the violent side of Jesus? Christians are
trying to play magic, right. Every time they are confronted with one violent verse, they try to correlate it with "peaceful" verse
as if they are interrelated, in fact they talk bout different context. They force one verse to correlate with the others, in fact
what they said parallel actually is not related to the others.
Let's see:
Luke 22:36
"But now if you have a purse, take it, and
also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."
This verse is a violence, be a snake, be a silent killer
And bear in mind, Jesus never ask people to be a cute dog, a term he uses for the lady at the well.
What tricky translation is
that ? Notice how the words of Christ are given the interpretation of the questioner.
Jesus ran into this problem with the Pharisees,
priests and some of His own disciples at times. They were all very immature in their understanding of spiritual things and needed
to be converted.
When the mind controlled by selfish principles tries to explain or interpret the spiritual things of God's word,
the results will not be in favor of God.
When Jesus spoke of spiritual things, many times they interpreted His meaning literally
just as many do today.
Notice what Jesus said about His servants -
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this
world: if my kingdom were of this world, THEN WOULD MY SERVANTS FIGHT, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom
not from hence.
Obviously, then, Jesus could not be talking about a real sword.
Here is another confirmation of this -
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strong holds;
2 Corinthians 10:3,4
The verse that explains the type of sword that Jesus is talking
about is found here...
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD:
The
word of God is the sword that Jesus knew would bring division among people because each individual's choice of how to respond to it
would not be the same.
The sword itself or the word of God doesn't actually cause the division.
IT IS THE RESPONSE OF THE
HUMAN HEART IN RELATION TO THE WORD THAT CAUSES THE DIVISION.
The words buy and sell also have spiritual meanings explained by
other verses as well. But is it really your purpose to understand ?
There is a principle that applies to all the interpretation
and reading of the Bible that seems to elude critics of the Bible.
The motive for reading the Bible determines whether one will
understand or misunderstand the Bible.
Wrong motives = wrong understanding
Right motives = right understanding
If you are
looking to find flaws with Christ or Christians, then you cannot arrive at a correct understanding of the Bible.
Unless there
is a sincere desire to know and understand God, the mind with a predisposition against Him will not comprehend spiritual things.
Christ
was not violent. If He were, the cross would never have happened and many of us would not be alive.
44. Do you believe
that Christians should give to help the homeless find food, clothing, and shelter? The homeless in our society do not choose to live
in the streets, many are victims of their circumstances. Should we as Christians give of our time, money, and other resources to help
these people with food, clothing, jobs, and shelter.?
Yes, Christians should do these things but simply meeting the basic needs
of others is not the only work that we are called to do.
Our tithes go to support the ministers or those who are directly involved
in the work of soul winning.
Our offerings are freewill to provide additional support for the church or for all other benevolent
aid or useful good works for our fellow human beings.
The work of God encompasses all the tools and their uses for winning souls to
Christ.
Meeting basic needs is one among many avenues to a person's heart for the purpose of bringing them to Christ.
45.Do You Believe In Evolution Or Creation? and can you back it up
I believe in Creation. I can present reasons why I believe just
as the evolutionist can present reasons why he has faith in his religion.
I believe that both evolution and creation require
faith and believers.
I believe in Creation because of the intelligent design everywhere apparent in the many things in our natural
world and environment.
Design requires intelligence and intelligence has its source in a mind.
The formulation of a code
requires planning and intelligence.
Planning and intelligence have their source in a mind.
It is dishonest, unreasonable
and an intellectual insult to try and persuade other human beings that the Morse code is the result of a chance mutational accident
due to a big bang explosion of nothing caused by nothing millions of years ago.
It is exceedingly ridiculous to suggest that
the DNA code originated in this way.
The basic mathematical equation of evolution is not true science.
Time + Chance = Complex
Life Forms
Creation and evolution are not compatible beliefs because one acknowledges and continues to recognize the initiation
and present involvement of the Creator toward a purpose.
Evolution suggests that mindless nothing started something and that's
how we got everything. Some of the things that originated from this mindless nothing are continuing to "evolve" and grow more complex.
You
need great faith to believe this; especially since you will never live long enough to see it.
46. How does one choose
what doesn’t yet exist?? I was recently told that God created everything - except evil. Mankind choose that path.... From a logical,
rational approach, how can a thinking mind reconcile the fact that you cannot choose a path that does not yet exist?? If a road does
not fork, I cannot choose which path to take.. I can only follow the one path available to me - blazing a new path would be CREATION,
which mankind cannot perform.... How can I choose between A and B if B doesn’t exist?? Mankind could not have chosen evil unless evil
was already in existence. So, evil must have been created by this God - it wasn’t created by Satan - because only God can create....
Someone please reconcile this fact for me...
Evil was not created. Evil originated. It began with someone. That someone
was Lucifer.
God created the being with a free will and evil originated in that being's heart through the exercise of his free
will.
Evil was in existence in the heart of Lucifer before man was created. Mankind made and continues to make choices in favor
of evil because of an inherent bent towards it.
However, God's plan is to deliver men, women and children with their cooperation
from both the penalty and the power of evil or sin.
God could have destroyed Lucifer right away but what an impression it would
have left on the minds of everyone else. God would be served or obeyed because of fear instead of love. Time must be allowed so that
the principle of evil which is simply selfishness may be seen for what it really is.
God has chosen the only “logical” way to
address the problem of evil.which is really the principle of selfishness.
Allow it and those who choose to be controlled by it
to reveal itself for what it really is and what it ultimately leads to.
Part of this was seen when Christ was crucified.
God
willingly and humbly takes the blame for much that is evil or wrong even though He does not personally choose to do evil or wrong.
A
father may love his children and educate them about the difference between evil and good. However, if the father does not allow the
children freedom of choice, then they are simply like robots or slaves.
If the children choose to hurt each other and everyone
around them, if they choose to drive cars to run people over and see nothing wrong with worshipping themselves, who gets blamed ?
Ultimately,
the father is blamed for the actions of his children even though he gave them a free will and they have chosen to do evil with that
freedom of choice.
At some point, for the good of everyone else, he must bring an end to the pain and suffering that his children
are bringing upon themselves and others.
These things are revealed in the Bible.
47. Why did "God" create the earth
& everything in it ? What's the point to it all?
That's what love does.
He created a lovely home before He created
those upon whom He would bestow His love. Love will create opportunities and reasons for loving. Just because He has had to put His
ultimate plan on hold does not mean there was no plan. His ultimate plan was that human beings would never die, always live in harmony
and peace with each other and continue to develop spiritually, mentally and physically.
The plan to bestow immortality upon human
beings and provide them with an eternally joyful environment cannot be fully implemented until the principle of selfishness in the
human heart has been properly dealt with.
48. Is the condition of black people today a result of the racism/discrimination
brought by white people? I'm just wondering if racism/discrimination is the downfall of black people today? Was this downfall intended
by the white society?
What do you mean by condition ? Which black people are you talking about ? Please clarify.
I know
some who are well educated and I know others who are not.
I know some who are morally inclined and I know some who are not.
I
know some who are economically distressed and I know some who are not.
Racism/discrimination can have an impact on a person's
thoughts and feelings if that person chooses to allow it.
The downfall of any person of any nationality is being controlled by
what others think.
I know some people who are like this and I know some who are not.
49. What is Freedom too you?
Give me your own definition of the word "Freedom", please.
Having the power to be self-controlled and self-sacrificing.
Living by the principle of love and not enslaved to selfishness.
50. In an effort to understand better? State your religion
and a fact that you don't think many others know. This can be a religious wide fact (i.e. some doctrine of your religion or belief)
or a personal fact (i.e. maybe something you know about the church/temple/ect. you attend or the religious history of the area you
live in). I think most of us don't really know a lot about religions besides our own, and this is a chance to do what this section
is all about, sharing information.
I'm Catholic and a little known fact about my local church is that the Hispanic community
banded together to buy the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and build a small gratto for her (which is in our church's front yard).
This statue was used in every service dedicated to Our Lady since it was purchased four years ago. Now, you go. And please, no bashing
another religion
I am a Christian.
1. Most people don't know that according to the Bible there is no eternally burning
hell and that no one is going to be given eternal life so that they can burn for trillions of centuries.
2. Most people don't
know that according to the Bible that a Christlike character is the qualification for heaven because a Christlike character is the
only kind of character that could enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that can be safely trusted in heaven.
3. The motive
for reading the Bible deternmines whether or not one will understand or misunderstand the Bible.
Wrong motive = wrong understanding
Right
motive = right undertanding
4. According to the Bible, those who reject the love of God and His plan for developing a beautiful
character before death will perish in the lake of fire with the devil and the angels that fell with him after the final judgment
5.
Character cannot be changed after death or in the judgment.
6. God does not save anyone against their will or without their cooperation.
7.
Heaven is a real place and details about what it will be like to live eternally are given in the Bible.
51. Why should
I read the Old Testament. Can I get wisdom from other religions as well ?
You should read the Old Testament to gain a complete
picture of God and the plan of salvation.
You can learn things from other religions and from many other places for that matter
but only the Bible will teach you about the character you need to develop in order to enjoy heaven and be trusted there.
Only the Bible
will acquaint you with a person who loves you enough to provide the help you will need to develop this character.
52. I have opened my heart to Jesus and God, and yet nothing. Why? So a few of you seem to answer questions here with, "open your heart
and the proof will show itself" or some stuff like that. I have read about 40% of the bible now, I asked Jesus (out loud and everything)
to forgive me for all of my sins past, present and future, and help me live my life in a way I could be happy with. I see Christians
so happy in their faith, with their "life is great" attitudes and I wanted that to. i want to feel God's glory and all that, but no
amount of believing, or praying has changed me or how I feel one bit. I think maybe it's because I'm doing it for selfish reasons.....or
maybe it's because Christians are wrong. Thoughts ?
Be encouraged. You are doing the right thing and it takes moral courage to
even make such a public statement.
If you are sincerely seeking to have a new life in Christ , "just opening your heart" is
an answer but not a very meaningful one. .
"Living your life in a way that you could be happy with" is more self-centered than
God focused.
A selfish motive will definitely prevent you from having a genuine life changing experience. If you are looking
for feelings and hope to base your understanding of God upon that, you will always be susceptible to deception and easily manipulated.
1.
Ask God to give you new motives, new desires and new purposes and He will do this for you immediately. It is your character that will
be the focus of ongoing change.
2. The Bible is the key to helping you develop the kind of character that will make you happy
and trustworthy here and happy and trustworthy in heaven.
Wrong motive for reading the Bible = wrong understanding
Right motive
for reading the Bible = right understanding
3. God expects you to take care of your mind by guarding it from degrading influences
and filling it with that which is elevating and in harmony with the pure principles revealed in the Bible.
Do not be discouraged.
There is a lot more clear, detail that I could share with you but only if you so desire.
If you want more guidance or help anytime,
just email me:
53. Why are Christians proclaiming to love the Lord but on the contrary they hate Homosexuals? I think
it stinks when true Christian say they love Jesus. When indeed Jesus was all about Love. He loved the whore down the streets, he loved
the thieves next to him on the cross when he died. So why can't you love Gay, Lesbian, Bisexuals and Transgenered folks? They are
human beings too. If you know your Bible it says:"Love one another as I have loved you."
Can I suggest something to you please
? Don't call everyone a Christian just because they have a Bible or go to church. It will spare the feelings and reputation of real
Christians.
There are people who are not Christians.
There are people who call themselves Christians
There are people
WHO ARE Christians.
.
Christians don't hate anybody.
However, it appears that there are a great majority of people who are determined
not to accept the truth no matter how plainly or how often it is stated.
IT IS THE ACT NOT THE ACTOR that the Bible says is wrong.
Christians
are being asked to love or accept an act that the Bible plainly calls sin.
Some in society today say that gays, lesbian, bisexual
and trans-gendered folk are born this way and can't help themselves.
The Bible says it is a choice that is made by an individual.
The Bible also says that God can help any of these people to stop making these choices.
The question for you and for me is this...
Who
do we choose to believe ? God in the Bible or Society.
This may not be an answer you want to hear but it is a truthful answer
and a plea to stop falsely accusing Christians of hating homosexuals.
54. If everything in the bible is true, why doesnt
everyone agree on what it says? millions have died defending what they believe the bible says.........there should be no argument
Good
question. Even if everyone did agree on what it says, would everyone live by its principles ?
The argument and disagreement are
the result of problems with human nature not the Bible.
wrong motives for reading the Bible = wrong understanding or misunderstanding
of the Bible
right motives = right understanding
55. What is the purpose of life?
This will probably be for many people
more opinion than fact. It all depends upon what one believes.
If you believe in God and Jesus Christ His Son, then you know
that the purpose of life is to cooperate with them throughout your lifetime to develop a Christ-like character and to lead and influence
others to do the same in preparation for heaven.
Acceptance of Jesus Christ into the life begins the development of character.
A Christ-like character is the only kind of character that could enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that could be safely
trusted in heaven.
If you don't believe in God, the purposes are as multitude as the opinions.
56. Why do you believe
Christmas is Christ B'Day? When he was born in the fall of the year!!? xmas is correct-it should be called that, because it has nothing
to do with Jesus
Absolutely correct. Christmas is not Christ's birthday. This is a tradition that was accepted and promoted by
a certain church and introduced into society for acceptance.
There are many other traditions that are nothing more than baptized
paganism.
Be gracious in relating to those who have not studied.
57. Why the big deal about abortion? God doesn't
seem to think it's such big a deal. Exodus 21:22 says, "If men strive and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her...he
shall be punished according to the woman's husband...and pay a fine determined by a judge."
It seems like a minor sin compared
to: Exodus 21:17 "He that curseth his father or mother, shall surely be put to death. "But no Christians are lobbying for a Constitutional
Amendment to prevent kids from swearing at their parents. Exodus is the same chapter where the 10 Commandments are found. "Thou shat
not kill" is found there. And even though Jesus says to "love your enemies", some Christians interpret that it means we shouldn't
kill fetuses but we can kill our enemies.
Christians shouldn't kill anybody. To be a Christian means to be like Christ. Christ
came to reveal the kind of person that God is.
Christ died to pay the penalty for sin and provide salvation for even His enemies.
People who kill or make plans to kill their enemies are not Christians.
There is no such thing as "minor sin" when we are talking about
the crucifixion of the Son of God for sin..
58. Accepting Jesus into your heart and being forgiven? what happens when
you accept Jesus into your heart as your lord and savior and every thing is good but then you accidentally commit the unforgivable
sin with out realizing it or believing what you said with out anger then after that you continue to accept the lord Jesus into your
heart and repent your sins and you are a good Christian is there a good chance god will forgive you?
Yes, absolutely. God will
forgive anyone at anytime unless they do not want to be forgiven. Believe it or not, a person can reach this point of no return.
The
unpardonable sin is only unpardonable when the person does not want to be pardoned or has rejected the one who helps him to feel he
needs pardon.
You cannot commit the unpardonable sin by accident. Nor can you commit it by one incident. Thank God if you are
concerned about it because it means you have not committed it.
The unpardonable sin is unforgiveable not because God won't forgive
it but because the person will not ask forgiveness.
59. For bible believers ? Where was Jesus between the ages of 12 and
30 ? Why was it decided to keep that out of the bible? I think he was somewhere being a husband and probably a father. In order to
sell the son of God myth, it was decided to portray this human man as a virgin.
You should be more concerned about where Jesus
is between now and eternity.
It is not the things in the Bible that we don't understand that are obligatory, it is the things
that are understood that beckon accountability.
There is enough about His life in the Bible to provide an example of the kind
of person we each need to be.
If I tell you where He was, will you believe what He is ?
60. I am a Christian who
is engaged to a wonderful Muslim man. What kinds of problems will there be ahead for us? Obviously, there will be conflicts regarding
what others think and how to raise our children, but aside from those what other kinds of problems can you forsee? My finance is a
third generation Turkish-American Muslim and my family members are Southern Baptists. Please no answers regarding the mistreatment
of women in Islam. Thanks!
Kinds of problems ?...
Total world view.
Concept of love
The principles that God has given
for governing marriage and how a husband and wife are to relate will bring constant conflict if you are truly and deeply committed
to Christ.
Think about this one for instance...
(Colossians 3:18) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it
is fit in the Lord.
What happens when it is not "fit in the Lord" to submit to your husband ?
What did you do with this
verse ?
(2 Corinthians 6:14) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness ?
Does He believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior
of the world ? If not, he is an unbeliever.
61. What's the greatest price you would pay for immortality?
I'm not too sure.
Giving
my life to God and cooperating with Him to become like Jesus in character.
61. Do you think God would have preferred the
Catholic or the Protestant for president?
God always prefers to use first and foremost those who will most clearly and properly represent
His character to others.
62. What is truth? Explain to me what you think truth is.
Truth is fact. It is not based upon
opinion or preference. It is not changed by circumstances or situations. It does not have to be flattered and it is not moved by insult.
It is not a philosophy, a belief or an idea. It is what it is in spite of these things.
63. What defines you? Who you
are? What you do?-Do beliefs alone influence you... or what else?
It is a person's character that defines who they are. The expression
of our thoughts and feelings in words and actions sometimes reveals who we really are. Repeated actions become habits. Habits form
character.
64. What is the greatest sin of our time?
Unbelief
65. A man has sex with a woman who is genetically male appearing female due to a genetic mutation, is that a sin? Just asking
because I was inspired by that thing about the runner on the homepage. Anyway, it is a serious question.
If she is not his wife,
it is sin.
It is called fornication if he or she is not married.
It is called adultery if he or she is married.
66. If there really
is a God, what one thing do you think disappoints him/her most about humanity?
Unwillingness to break free from sin and the rejection
of their eternal inheritance.
67. What is the one thing man can count on since 1110 years, O.T. bible books at 443 B.C. each
day of life now? Does the majority of mankind die in old age about age 70 as Moses said, "Psalm.90:10."
Mankind's life span has
been decreasing because of sin. The weakened physical, mental and moral nature of man has contributed a lot to this.
The inherent
principle of selfishness leads, (many through ignorance) to self-destructive acts which shorten man's life span even further.
Not
everyone can count on death because of the promise of Christ's return. Some will be alive and taken to heaven without seeing death.
1
Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
68. Eternal torment in a pit flames ??
if I Sin for the 60 or 70 years i may live and go to hell, is it fair
that i should experience being burned alive fore ever?? i mean surely just the 60 or 70 years would be more than enough payback for
my sins in fact about 5 minutes would be more than enough!!
Absolutely correct ! Thank God that the Bible does not teach this
fable. No one will burn for trillions of millenniums in eternal flames for any sin.
Since the Bible does not teach this you do not
have to believe it.
The Bible teaches that those who, as you say, "sin for 60 or 70 years" have failed to let God change their
characters for heaven and consequently are unfit to live there.
Those who go to heaven must have Christlike characters. A Christlike
character is the only kind of character that could enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that could be trusted in heaven.
So,
sinning 60 or 70 years is a deliberate, voluntary, self determined exclusion from heaven.
The Bible teaches that after receiving
their punishment, the unrighteous will cease to exist. If they continued to live in eternal flames forever, that would mean that they
were immortal. But God does not promise immortality to the unrighteous.
Here are some scriptures that show how completely the
unrighteous will be destroyed- not live - cease to exist.
Genesis 3:19 Turned to dust
6:7,17 Completely destroyed
19:23-29 Fire
and brimstone
Exodus 22:20 Utterly Destroyed
1 Chronicles 28:9 Cast off forever
Job 18:18 Blotted off the planet
20:9 No longer
exist
21:17 Blotted out
22:20 Fire Consumed them
34:24 Brake in pieces
Psalm 1:6 Ungodly shall perish
2:9 Brake in pieces
21:9,10
Destroyed utterly by fire
34:21 Slay the wicked
37:1,2 Cut down and wither away
37:9 Evil doers will be cut off
37:10 Shall not be
37:20
Turn to smoke - perish
37:22,28,34 Cut off
37:36,38 Destroyed altogether
50:3 Devoured
52:5 Destroyed forever
55:23 Destruction in pit
58:7
Melt away as water and cut in pieces
59:13 Consumed in wrath
62:3 God will slay the wicked
68:2 Burned as wax and perished
69:28 No longer
living
73:18 Cast into destruction75:3 Dissolved
92:7 Destroyed forever
104:35 No longer exist
139:19 God will slay the wicked
145:20 Destroyed
the wicked
Proverbs 10:25 No longer exist
12:7 No longer exist
13:13 Destroyed
Isaiah 11:4 Slay
33:12 Burn as weeds
41:11,12
Turned into nothing
Ezekiel 18:4,20 Dead forever
Obadiah 1:16 No longer exist
Nahum 1:10 Burned as stubble
Malachi 4:1 Burnt
up
4:3 Turned to ashes
Matthew 3:10,12 Chopped up and burnt
7:13,19,27 Destruction, Chopped up and burnt, Fall and ruined
10:28
Destroy body and soul
13:30,40,42,48 Burned up
21:41,44 Broken and destroyed
22:7 Burned and destroyed totally
Mark 12:9 Destroyed
and ruined
69. How can you prove the truth of the Bible?
That depends upon which truth of the Bible you are speaking about.
Many prophecies have been fulfilled and are a matter of historical fact and are recorded in encyclopedias or other reference
resources.
Many things about the nature of God are beyond the ability of the human mind to fully grasp due to the limitations
imposed by a sinful nature and therefore cannot be proven with human tests.
The reality and truth of the Bible can be proven
by one sure, unfailing test for each individual.
The TEST OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE in submitting to its claims upon the conscience.
The truth of the Bible is not proven by consensus, professional expertise or group acknowledgement because it was meant to transform
individuals.
In other words, one person cannot prove or disprove the truth of the Bible for another with mere argument or facts
alone.
If a person is willing to submit to the test of personal experience, then that individual may realize the truth of the
Bible.
One more thing...
The motive for reading the Bible determines whether one will understand or misunderstand the Bible.
wrong
motives = wrong understanding or misunderstanding of the Bible
right motives = right understanding of the Bible
70. If God
knows what is going to happen before it happens, then why did he create Satan/Lucifer? I was thinking about this last night and me
a few people had a long descusion on it. We couldn't really understand why God made Satan if he knew he was going to turn on him take
some of God's angels and make them into demons. I really would like to know the answer to share with the people from last night with.
Please explain, thanks.
God is love. This is the essence of His character. The human mind, without God's help, is too selfish
to even perceive this love let alone plumb its depths.
His foreknowledge of events does not diminish power of choice any more
than your knowledge of tomorrow's weather will stup the rain.
If you have children and know what is going to happen when they
pursue a certain course, does that mean they do not have the freedom to make choices ?
In order for God to love and receive love
there must be freedom of choice. Love cannot be forced or commanded.
If God created beings that could only and would only choose
to love Him, then ...
1. The beings would not be free
2. God would be selfish
Even though God foresaw the results of creating
Lucifer, He still chose to not only create Him but to make provision for all that would happen as a result of Lucifer's rebellion.
The angels were not taken by Satan and turned into demons - THEY CHOSE TO BELIEVE SATAN'S LIES AND BECAME DEMONS.
It is the
same with human beings. A lifetime of choices can transform a person's character unfitting them for heaven.
If God had destroyed
Lucifer right after he sinned, all the other angels and unfallen worlds would more than likely have served God because of fear instead
of love since they knew nothing about sin before this. Sin was a mysterious intruder.
For the good of the universe, God's plan
allows for the unfolding and revealing of the principles of sin and rebellion with its results.
Thus every mind must be allowed
to see the evidence and decide for or against God.
God's plan also includes the remedy for sin and its final eradication from
the universe but freedom of choice is a large part of this.
When the great controversy is ended, heaven will be populated with
those who will have made a conscious decision against the principle of sin after having seen and experienced its effects.
God
has chosen what we would consider "the hard way" but it is the only way to guarantee the eternal security of heaven.
We are in
the midst of a great educational process with eternal destinies at stake. The principles of righteousness as revealed in God's word
are being revealed in contrast to the principles of sin as seen in our world today. All are allowed to choose.
The climax of
this struggle is nearing and will end with the return of Jesus Christ to this earth at a time when Satan will be utilizing his ultimate
deception to try and turn human beings against God and His people as he deceived the angels in heaven.
God loves everyone and
will forgive anyone but He will not save a single one against his or her will or without his or her cooperation.
71. Does the
U.S. Constitution's "freedom of religion" include freedom of non-religion?
Yes. Belief in nothing is a religion as well as belief
in something or someone.
Another definition for religion is - an objective pursued with conscientious devotion or fervor.
Belief
in nothing can be pursued just as enthusiastically as belief in something or someone.
Everyone has a religion but not everyone's
religion is the same.
72. Does God ever give you more than you can handle? Or does he only give those things to other people?
No.
He has given His promise. I believe He is telling the truth even though at times it may seem like it is more than we can handle.
1
Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you
to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].
73.
How long do you think it will be before christ returns and will judge us? will all be forgiven?
Unfortunately everyone will not
be forgiven because everyone does not feel the need to be forgiven and consequently do not want to be forgiven.
God loves everyone
and will forgive anyone but will not save a single one against his or her will or without his or her cooperation.
It won't be
long. Christ gave us signs in Matthew 24 and other verses by which we may know. Then He finished with this...
Matthew 24:33 So
likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. If someone is at your doors, you don't
have to figure out what day and hour they will be coming to your house. IT WILL BE SOON.
More specifically, Revelation 13 helps
us to know too. It is a prophecy about America.
Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he
had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
This beast coming up out of the earth with 2 horns like a lamb represents
the United States with the 2 fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty which distinguished it from all others nations
at its beginning. The character of the nation will change dramatically as indicated by the words "spake as a dragon".
The dragon
in Bible prophecy represents Satan or the devil.
Revelation 12:9 And the great DRAGON was cast out, that old serpent, called THE DEVIL,
and SATAN, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Here is how
the Bible explains this.
A beast in Bible prophecy represents a kingdom
Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The FOURTH BEAST shall
be the FOURTH KINGDOM upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down,
and break it in pieces.
The word kingdom and nation are used interchangeably in the Bible to mean the same thing.
Ezekiel
37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall
be no more two NATIONS, neither shall they be divided into two KINGDOMS any more at all:
John beheld another nation coming up out
of the earth.
Coming up out of the earth means growing in this Bible prophecy...
Job 8:19 Behold, this [is] the joy of
his way, and OUT OF THE EARTH SHALLOTHERS GROW
This growing nation had 2 horns like a lamb.
Horns represent power in Bible
prophecy.
Habakkuk 3:4 And [his] brightness was as the light; he had HORNS [coming] out of his hand: and there [was] the hiding of
his POWER
This growing nation had 2 powers like a lamb.
All lambs in the Bible are symbolic or point to the true, spiritual
LAMB, Jesus Christ.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth JESUS coming unto him, and saith, Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the
sin of the world.
The growing nation had 2 powers like Jesus Christ.
What were the 2 principles of power in the life of
Jesus Christ ?
Love to God and love to man
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE THE LORD thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Matthew 22:39 And
the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR as thyself.
In brief Jesus was describing civil and religious principles
of life.
The growing nation had 2 strong principles of power like Jesus Christ. Civil and religious principles with the freedom
to practice these.
74. If a gun where put to your head and you were told to deny the Lord, how would you respond?
I would
respond however God would choose to impress and enable me to respond.
God may choose to allow a Christian's life to be short
if that leads to the conversion of one or more other individuals who are present. In this case,
or
God may choose to extend
the Christian's life to continue winning even more hearts to Christ for preparation to live in heaven.
Either way, at that moment,
God will impress on my mind and conscience what His will is and grant me grace to do it.
That means either stay and speak or
run. Whatever God decides.
75. Did God really have any thing to do with the bible or was it just a way to control the People?
Yes,
God was the inspiration behind the Bible and He allowed it to be put in human language. This in no way nullifies its authenticity
or diminishes its authority and power.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
It was not given as a way to control the people. On
the contrary, it was given to provide the highest incentives for SELF-CONTROL and self-sacrifice.
It was given to enlighten human
beings as to the character of God and the requirement for a place in heaven; namely a Christlike character. The Bible reveals the
character of God but there are keys to a correct understanding of scripture. Here is one.
Wrong motives for reading the Bible
= wrong understanding or misunderstanding of the Bible
Right motives = right understanding
The Bible is an aid in the development
of a Christlike character.
A Christlike character is the only kind of character that could enjoy heaven and the only kind of
character that can safely be trusted in heaven.
This character must be developed before a person dies or before Jesus returns.
We cannot develop this character on our own but by asking for God's grace everyday and cooperating with HIm throughout our lifetime,
He will help us to do it in preparation for heaven.
God loves everyone and will forgive anyone but He will not save a single
one against their will or without their cooperation.
All these things are revealed in the Bible
76. First step in determining
God's Will for you?
1. Prayer to God.
2. Look in His word for an answer.3. Watch for His providence in circumstances and situations
or be alert to Him possibly working through someone else to answer the prayer.
77. Why do Christians think they are going to
win converts by telling them they are going to hell? I'm a faithful LDS, I'm impressed by how many people on this forum think that
by telling me or others that they are going to hell believe that they will actually earn a convert to their ranks. Putting down another
person's faith is wrong, I served an LDS mission and it helped me understand how to share the gospel effectively. The more love and
understanding you show, the nicer it is and easier it is to be accepted and leave a good impression. Most people will like you, and
love you back and even JOIN YOUR CHURCH, and follow your example.
I have found way too many harrasments like, Mormons are a cult.
They are going to hell, and they are not Christians.
I try to follow Christ sincerely everyday of my life, I get down on my knees
and ask to be forgiven, I ask Christ to apply his atonement to my life, and I feel His love and His support and His spirit. I have
a testimony of the restoration. Bottom line is invite don't offend. Your offenses give Christ and religion a bad name.
I can't
agree more. I honestly believe that anything other than genuine Christlikeness of disposition toward others is a misrepresentation
of God and Christianity.
Probably more than anything else, unkindness of speech and actions has led more people to reject God,
the Bible and religion altogether.
The false teaching about people burning in hell fire for trillions of milleniums for rejecting
Christ has done its share of damage too.
This is not even a Bible teaching. If anyone can prove it is, email me.
78. Where
in the bible does it ever mention dead people ascending to heaven? dead people don't go to heaven. Enoch and Elijah ascended to heaven
alive. Matthew 27:51-53 mentions many resurrected from their graves with Jesus and went to heaven. So apprently you have to be alive
to ascend to heaven. To have an afterlife you must be alive, if you're not, you would have to be resurrected. Same goes for judgement
day to receive the death sentence of fire from heaven which erases you from rxistance and cleases the Earth to make a New Heaven and
New Earth.
There is no place in the Bible where it mentions dead people going to heaven. Many people have not studied the Bible
well enough to realize this.
When a person dies, that person remains in the grave until either the first or the second resurrection.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that "a soul" leaves the body.
Because many people don't understand what happens after a person
dies, they could more easily be misled about ghosts, spirits, haunted houses and even preparation for heaven itself.
79. Would
it upset you if the use of small crosses in memorials on public space was declared unconstitutional ?And then taken down, perhaps
burned or recycled? How is it that Christian symbols on public property is not abuse of the first amendment? How would you feel if
manger scenes on public property were also taken down? Would any of this bother you in the least?
As a Christian, no, it wouldn't
bother me at all. The Bible teaches the separation of church and state and the disastrous results of not heeding this principle.
Mark
12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.
Whenever
Christianity or any religion for that matter has employed the power of the state or government to promote its beliefs, intolerance
and persecution is the ultimate result.
In fact, God tries to warn people everywhere in the Bible about this. He is forecasting
a final, deadly conflict over the issue of forced worship. The Bible teaches that church and state are a bad combination.
Revelation
13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Revelation
13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship
the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that
the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
God
does not save anyone against their will or without their loving cooperation.
It is possible that many well meaning individuals
are misguided about this. Christians should not go out their way to offend or unnecessarily arouse a combative spirit in anyone.
Matthew
5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you;
If we are offended over these things, it shows that self is still very much alive.
80. Can any
atheists prove that God does not exist?
No. but that does not stop them from trying. Pray for them.
81. Do you think people with
the Holy Spirit can rap faster than Twista?
People with the Holy Spirit can do many things faster and better than Twista.
82.Why did the devil suddenely spring up in the new testament when the only mention of him in the OT is in the? book of Job and Genesis?
Why did he suddenly assume such importance? What was he doing all that time?
It appears that way at first glance but it is not
so. His origin and destiny are described in other verses as well. Isaiah describes his selfishness and Ezekiel describes his pride.
Isaiah
14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations!
Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of
God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights
of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isaiah 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isaiah
14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble,
that did shake kingdoms;
Isaiah 14:17 [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that] opened
not the house of his prisoners ?
He is described in Ezekiel as God spoke directly to the one who was controlling the king of
Tyrus.
Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou
sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious
stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and
the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Ezekiel
28:14 Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked
up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:15 Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,
till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezekiel 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence,
and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy
wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Ezekiel
28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring
forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them
that behold thee.
He works through the power of influence so wherever you see the manifestation of pride and selfishness in the
Old Testament, be assured that he is there.
83. God has destroyed whole worlds and nations before for wickedness? Before the
flood the world was full of people but they were so wicked and rebellious. That he wiped them all out. Then in Sodom and Gamorrah
how many young women and babies survived ? None. So when the end of this world comes why would it be any different? Luke asked if
those being saved were few and Jesus said Yes.
Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life and few are the ones following
it. So very few will be saved again. 1 Corthians 7:14 says that even the children who does not have one parent that is a Christian
cannot be saved. So our childrens lives are once again in our own hands. someone is not just automatically saved>? Or how do you
take this to mean? Will all the children without parents be saved? That doesn't make any sense either? The wars they had the children
were killed. Wouldn't they just grow up to be like their parents?
1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
All God's
promises and threatenings are conditional. The human response to what God says is what determines the final outcome. The key word
is "IF". That's why there is the next verse
1 Corinthians 7:15 But IF the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a
sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us to peace.
All children will not be saved because all children
do not want to be saved. Even a child can reach the age of accountability and make choices that permanently fix the kind of person
that they are; permanently fix his character for salvation or destruction.
Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings,
whether his work [be] pure, and whether [it be] right.
There are no verses in the Bible which indicate that God takes freedom of choice
away from children or adults in matters of salvation.
Although God loves everyone and will forgive anyone, He will not save a
single one against their will or without their cooperation.
84. If ghosts and spirits exist....?...do they watch you when you're
on the loo? It's just that our office building is reputedly haunted and now, whenever I go to the loo, I get a real creepy feeling
that I'm being watched
You might be interested in knowing what the Bible teaches about the existence of ghosts and spirits. Some
people think that someone can come back from the dead and haunt houses but that is not what God says.
The Bible does reveal
what is really going on with these "apparent manifestations" Check it out.
At least you will know.
85. Is there a power
greater than yourself ?
Yes. God
86. Is there any specific explaination that god exists?
Is there specific laboratory or
scientific evidence that God does not exist ?
87. Where in the BIBLE can I find this? Does any one know where in the Bible does
it say something about when you loan someone money, not to expect it back? I thought I remember reading something like that, but I
can't remmeber where. I have tried online bibles, with no luck. Thanks
Yes.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good,
and LEND, HOPING FOR NOTHING AGAIN; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto
the unthankful and [to] the evil.
88. How come some Christians say the OT is symbolic when you quote a passage on God condoning
genocide and rape, and that it's the old law that was replaced by the NT, but then they go and quote passages from Lev. saying homosexuality
is wrong?
The Old Testament is not symbolic yet there are many verses found in the Old Testament that have a twofold or symbolic
meaning.
If you can produce a single verse showing that God condones rape, I will send you a money order for $100.00 or more. Just
email the verse to me or post it here.
There is general misunderstanding about why God told His people to cut short the lives
of others in the Old Testament. On the part of some who read the Old Testament it is sincere misconception but on the part of some
others it is dishonesty.
Here is a description that is often left out of the discussion about the Old Testament. It explains
the character and lifestyles of those whom God saw fit to put to sleep.
Sacrificing babies and children on altars of fire to
the sun god under various names (Leviticus 20:2-5)
Trying to communicate with spirits from the dead. (Leviticus 20:6)
Sex
with animals, parents, in-laws, etc. (Leviticus 20"16-23)
Many abominable and wicked deeds (Deuteronomy (:4,5)
The most
merciful thing that God could to for individuals who were in bondage to self-destructive and debasing lifestyle habits...
The most
merciful thing that God could do for them was to shorten their self-infliced misery by abbreviate thier life.and cutting short their.
existence.
Not only were they destroying themselves but through their evil influence, others were also being destroyed mentally,
physically and spiritually.
If the Old Testament is going to be considered for its violence, the cause must be considered as
well.
wrong motives for reading the Bible = wrong understanding or misunderstanding of the Bible
right motives for reading
the Bible = right understanding of the Bible
89. What did Jesus mean by the Dead burying the Dead?
Let the spiritually dead bury
the literally dead.
No earthly ties or connections with unconverted friends or family should prevent the progress of God's work
of winning souls for Christ.
Here is the whole context.
Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord,
suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach
the kingdom of God.
Jesus was helping this person to see things in the proper perspective.
There are people whose consciences
are dead to spiritual things and they are dead in trespasses and sin.
While both life and death are matters of great importance,
the work of saving the living is more important than attending to those who are already dead.
90. Do you believe that any sinner
can be saved who dies without trusting in Jesus Christ alone for the salvation?
I believe what the Bible says about this....
Act
4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
I
do believe that because of Jesus Christ there will be people saved from heathen lands and elsewhere who may not have had a complete
or intellectual understanding of the plan of salvation but have nevertheless emulated His character.
91. What is it that is "man made"
and that will be in Heaven ?
The nail prints in the hands and feet of Jesus.
92. Is this what heaven is? Heaven is a place
without sin? a place without sadness? a place where we will worship god? thus concluding there is no free will?
so with this
we are being made to worship god, the very same god who sent our family and loved ones to a place to be tourtured for all of eternity.
so why would anyone really want to go to heaven anyway? not to mention the god we are worshipping is murderous (evidence found
anywhere in the OT)
I think there is a misunderstanding about some of this. I will try to explain for you but I am not sure if
you really want to understand.
First of all, heaven and hell are not immediate experiences after death according to the Bible.
So there is not one single person burning in any fires of hell as you read this.
God has never promised eternal life or immortality
in flames of fire through trillions of milleniums for those who reject his love.
If you can prove from the Bible that God will make
people immortal so that they can live in flames forever, I will send you a money order for $100.00 or more.
Second of all, God
does not save anyone and take them to heaven against their will or without their cooperation. In order to be prepared for heaven a
person must cooperate with God throughout their lifetime to develop a Christlike character.
A Christlike character is the only
kind of character that could enjoy heaven and the only kind of character that could be trusted in heaven. We are free to choose which
kind of character we will develop throughout our lifetime. Our lifetime of choices determines the kind of person we become.
If
you or I did not have free will we could not have this discussion.
Thirdly; the Bible gives an astounding description of heaven.
The individual whose lifetime of choices permanently fixes their character out of harmony with the spirit of heaven will have made
the greatest mistake of his or her life.
The sorrow at the loss of heaven will be inconceivable.
93. Is Jesus soon to come??
Yes.
According to the Bible, all the prophetic waymarks say so.
Revelation reveals that the character of our nation, the United States
would change.
Specifically: the 2 strong, foundational principles of our country would be weakened and finally repudiated.
Civil
and religious rights and liberties
Indicated by the 2 horns of the beast in Revelation 13
The prophecy goes on to predict
the religious extremism and intolerance that will prevail as our nation is overwhelmed with crisis after crisis.
In a mistaken
attempt to stave off further calamity, religious laws will be passed to compel citizens to observe man-made worship instruction.
We
are approaching the end.
Notice the hearts of many waxing cold as Jesus predicted in Matthew 24.
Notice the accelerated
explosion of knowledge and invention since the year 1900 as predicted by Daniel 12.
Notice the rise of spiritualism and spiritualistic
manifestations as indicated in movies, television, and other forms of media and as predicted by Revelation 16.
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW
THE DAY OR THE HOUR
WHY ?????
If someone is knocking at your front door, think of how ridiculous it would be to try and
figure out what day and hour they will enter your house.
THAT IS WHY WE DON'T NEED THE DAY OR HOUR
Jesus said;
Mark
13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, EVEN AT THE DOORS.
Too much to
go into detail here. Email if you want more.
94. A question to all various god people? when you die and nothing happens what
will you do?
If nothing happens, nothing is lost. But consider the alternative.
If you die and something happens, what will
you do ?
95. Were you created? or are you the result chance? I am teaching Sunday School this weekend and I want your input. Is mankind
the result of a Higher Powers purposeful creation? Is mankind the outcome of a chaotic lottery?
I believe I am the result of
creation by a Creator.
I do not believe that the morse code is the result of a chance accident billions of years ago due to an
explosion of nothing caused by nothing. I believe that Samuel F.B. Morse is the inventor of the morse code.
I do not believe
that the DNA code formed itself either. I believe in the Creator.
And so do many scientists....
Thomas G. Guilliams Ph.D.
Molecular Biology The Medical College of Wisconsin
Joel Adams Professor of Computer Science Calvin College
Kevin Farmer Adjunct Assistant
Professor (Ph.D. Scientific Methodology) University of Oklahoma
Neal Adrian Ph.D. Microbiology University of Oklahoma
Ge Wang Professor
of Radiology & Biomedical Engineering University of Iowa
Moorad Alexanian Professor of Physics University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Richard
Spencer Professor (Ph.D. Stanford) University of California, Davis, Solid-State Circuits Research Laboratory
Braxton Alfred Emeritus
Professor, Anthropology University of British ColumbiaR. Craig Henderson Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Wesley Allen Professor of Computational Quantum Chemistry University of Georgia
James Pierre Hauck Professor
of Physics & Astronomy University of San Diego
Mark Apkarian Ph.D. Exercise Physiology University of New Mexico
Eshan Dias Ph.D.
Chemical Engineering King’s College, Cambridge University
Joseph Atkinson Ph.D. Organic Chemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Richard
Austin Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Biology & Natural Sciences Piedmont College
John Baumgardner Ph.D. Geophysics & Space Physics
University of California, Los Angeles
Glenn R. Johnson Adjunct Professor of Medicine University of North Dakota School
George Bennett
Associate Professor of Chemistry Millikin University
Robert L. Waters Lecturer, College of Computing Georgia Institute of Technology
David
Berlinski Ph.D. Philosophy Princeton University
James Robert Dickens Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering Texas A&M University
Phillip Bishop
Professor of Kinesiology University of Alabama
Donald R. Mull Ph.D. Physiology University of Pittsburgh
John Bloom Ph.D. Physics Cornell
University
Ben J. Stuart Ph.D. Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Rutgers University
Raymond Bohlin Ph.D. Molecular & Cell Biology
University of Texas, Dallas
Christa R. Koval Ph.D. Chemistry University of Colorado at Boulder
John Bordelon Ph.D. Electrical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Lydia G. Thebeau Ph.D. Cell & Molecular Biology Saint Louis University
David Bossard Ph. D. Mathematics
Dartmouth College
Robert W. Kelley Ph.D. Entomology Clemson University
David Bourell Professor Mechanical Engineering University of
Texas (Austin)
Carlos M. Murillo Professor of Medicine (Neurosurgery) Autonomous University of Guadalajara,
Walter Bradley Distinguished
Professor of Engineering Baylor University
Sami Palonen Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry University of Helsinki, Finland
Check here
for hundreds more...
96. If the bible says its wrong for a man to love another
man, why is it ok for Jesus to love me?
The Bible does not say it wrong for a man to love another man.
The Bible says it
is wrong for a man to lust after another man.
Love and lust are not the same thing. Jesus Christ revealed the principles of
true love so that no one would be mistaken about this subject.
The love of Christ is pure as were His motives, desires and purposes.
Christ does not lust after you.
Christ loves you so much that He wants to spend eternity with you and works to establish a relationship
with you that has this as its ultimate aim.
Christ loves you even when you are unloveable.
Christ does not need physical pleasure
with you in order to love you. Christ loves you even if you are physically incapacitated or physically unattractive.
Christ's
love for you will lead to the harmonious development of your physical, mental and spiritual attributes; not the weakening of them.
Christ's
love for you will inspire and encourage you to strive for moral excellence of character without any physical contact.
Human love
may change but Christ's love knows no change.
97. A question about the Bible.....? Why is there so much pillaging, rape and murder
in it?
Because there are human beings in it. The Bible reveals the sinfulness of human nature and its results.
Sin is basically
a principle. It is the principle of selfishness. We see its influence and effects in our world today.
It also reveals God's plan
addressing the problem of sin and how He dealt with it throughout various periods in history.
The good news is that sin is not
eternal and a conclusion to this problem is on the horizon for our world.
A beautiful future beyond this present world of sin
is promised to those who cooperate with God in dealing with the problem of sin or selfishness in their own lives.
98. God has
not intervened since the creation, If he is omnipotent he could stop earthquakes and tsunamis? (acts of god by the way) or cure cancer,
ebola or any one of some incredibly nasty diseases with a click of his fingers but he doesn't. Why not?
In order to be fair to
God, the answer to the question about God requires an acceptance of what God has revealed about Himself and this world in His word.
Yes,
God could stop these things. In fact, God could prevent every bad thing from happening but what about the plan of salvation ?
What
about the issues in the great controversy that God has revealed in the Bible ? Would this help reveal the truth about Satan and his
accusations against God ?
Outside of God sharing with us in the Bible some details of a bigger picture, these questions would
remain unanswered.
Herein lies the source of the faulty logic and wrong conclusions of many who do not understand God.
By rejecting
or neglecting the Bible, many have secured to themselves an incomplete picture of God and the world and with this incomplete knowledge
have developed some gross misconceptions.
This is inevitable because the surface reader is not able to discern the laws of health,
laws of the mind, spiritual laws and many vital principles found in the Bible.
Ignorance of and violation of the laws of health
and the laws of the mind revealed in the Bible are largely the cause of much of the human suffering of mental and physical diseases.
According
to the Bible, this world is in the midst of a war.
Christ and holy angels are constantly working to attract the minds of human
beings toward noble, elevating purposes and character development in preparation for heaven.
Satan and evil angels are constantly
at work to lead human beings to indulge selfishness. They aim to undermine the power of self-control. They are ever at work to cause
pain, disaster, disease and death. Satan and evil angels are permitted to cause disaster for a reason.
Selfish human nature only
turns to God in extreme crisis.
Sometimes God intervenes to prevent crisis but other times He doesn't. It usually depends upon
the eternal good of souls.
What situations will allow for the greatest amount of human beings to be prepared for eternal life
in heaven ? Unfortunately, because of the perversity of human nature, sometimes, it is disaster or sorrow that leads to the eternal
salvation of souls.
This war started in heaven when Lucifer became self-exalted. He had a high position in heaven and his selfish
purposes were not easily detected by the other angels and unfallen beings because of their unfamiliarity with the nature of sin.
Some
ask; if God knew Lucifer would become a devil, then why did He create him ?
God is love. It is selfishness to not create to avoid
the possiblity of wrong. Love cannot be commanded or forced. True love necessitates freedom of choice. Yes, love is risky.
Lucifer
claims that God is selfish and only requires obedience for his own gratification. He also claims that he can do a better job at ruling
over created beings if given the chance.
Fast forward to our time; look around you. Behold the results of sin and selfishness
in our world.
A conclusion is on the horizon. Satan has proven by instigating the death of Christ on the cross that sin is terrible
and selfishness ends in death.
After the coming religious crisis in America and forced worship issues brought out in the Bible,
Christ will come to bring an end to disaster, death, disease and sorrow.
Satan will die in the lake of fire along with everyone who
has rejected the love of God and everyone who has refused the help that He has offered to develop Christlike characters for heaven.
All these things are revealed in the Bible.
99. Why is it so hard to be the God centered person I am aspiring to be and easy
to be the natural selfish me? I feel like a failure and can't seem to let go of some of my selfish ways. Is it just me or are you
struggling to let go and let God remake you too ?
Be encouraged Sis. The fact that you are concerned and displeased with falling
short of God's standard is evidence that God's work is being permitted to go on in your life.
Don't focus on your weaknesses
or failure; that will bring defeat.
Victory is obtained in steadfastly beholding Christ. God loves you and appreciates every
effort you make to conquer self.
The approval of God rests upon the repentant soul. Keep letting God adorn you with grace and
humility and you will continue to reflect His character more and more fully.
Be encouraged Sis. Look up to Christ and away from
your own faults and weaknesses.
100. How can you have a personal relationship with God if he never responds? I mean no one ever
claims God said audible words to them. No one has ever prayed for something so miraculous that it could only be explained that God
did it, and then have it happen. Isn't what you have a one-sided relationship with a man written book? I mean, feel free to prove
me wrong, link me to You-Tube where God is speaking to someone, or answering a prayer, I mean everything else is on there, if there's
2 billion people with a "personal relationship" with God, someone must have videotaped them and God interacting.
You may have
logic but you don't have the whole picture.
Many are lacking or rejecting information which makes their logic faulty and the
premise false. Herein lies the paradox.
God declares that the nature of human beings is sinful. Sin is basically the principle
of selfishness.
Is it logical to expect a selfish heart to want to comprehend and love a God of love ?
If God says the problem
is with the selfish heart, will the selfish heart accept that statement ?
God responds to all human beings but not necessarily
in a way that is flattering or appealing to the pride of the human heart.
If you are up to it and really sincere, here is a challenge:
Cry
out to God and ask Him for new motives, new desires and new purposes and see what happens.