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Our Differences
September-11-2008
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When we come acorss a person in need we do
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Making peace to honor God
July-7-2008
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Matthew 5:23-24
So if you are offering yo
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August 3, 2008
Does the 120 years mentioned in Genesis 6 refer to the human lifespan?
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This question comes from Matt
Does the 120 years mentioned in Genesis 6 refer to the human lifespan?
Below is the context from the NAS.
Genesis 6 (New American Standard Bible)New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Genesis 6
The Corruption of Mankind 1Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,
2that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
3Then the LORD said, "(A)My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, (B)because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
The New Living Translation says it this way:
Genesis 6 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Genesis 6
A World Gone Wrong
1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women[a] and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with[b] humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years."
After some research I tend to differ with this translation or the thought that God was limiting the lifespan of man to 120 years. Why? The answer is simple. Unlike Psalm 90 which places the general limit to a man's age between 70 and 80, a thing we can see that has varied widely throughout history, there is no evidence man's lifespan was 120 years (give or take) during this time or after the flood. See the list of ages below for reference looking at the ages of men after Noah.
Adam 930
Seth 912
Enosh 905
Kenan 910
Mahalalel 895
Jared 962
Methuselah 969
Lamech 777
Noah 950
Shem 600
Arpachshad 438
Shelah 433
Eber 464
Peleg 239
Reu 239
Serug 230
Nahor 148
Terah 205
Abraham 175
The closes one to 120 years of age is Nahor who lived to only 148! It is clear that the lifespan of man dropped after the flood but we don't see 120 years. What else could have this passage meant?
Many have suggested this 120 year period was from the time God revealed that He decided to flood the earth until he actually did it. Noah was 500 when he first mentioned in Genesis 5:32 and in his 600th year when he entered the ark according to Genesis 7:11. While that is only a period of 100 years we do not have a reference of time when God said man's remaining days would be 120 years. It could have easily been a 120 year period for all we know.
I would not get dogmatic about this at all. It is very difficult to tell for sure. All we know is man's lifespan did not seem to be shortened to 120 years but gradually was shortened to between 70 and 80 years. I would lean towards this scripture suggesting it was 120 years from the time God made the decree that he was going to destroy life on earth until he did so by the flood, Genesis 6:7.
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June 28, 2008
Money
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Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Wow, it is hard to get past this verse without seeing ourselves. Most of the world lives in poverty compared to Western Civilization. We all scream when gas goes up and up and the stock market goes down and down. I'm as guilty as anyone. It sometimes does us good to simply be glad we can still get by. After all, our treasure is not here on earth. At the same time we all need to llive. However, we do grow accustomed to our present style of living and try to maintain it.
If we remember to be good to one another in the name of Christ we store up treasure in heaven. Now that is a retirement plan that no 401k can match!
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March 24, 2008
The Pope
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I have often been asked if the Pope is really the representative of Christ on earth. The only passage I know that the Roman Catholics take this idea from is found in Matthew 16. I will add the whole passage below:
Matt 16:13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[b] the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it.[e] 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[f] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[g] loosed in heaven." 20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Roman Catholics argue that this means Peter is the first Pope. Protestants argue this simply means the Church will be built upon the revelation of who Jesus is by the Father in heaven.
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March 14, 2008
What is the basic difference between the world religions and true Christianity?
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There are multiple differences on many levels. However, if you are looking for just one simple answer here it is:
True Christianity requires only one thing. That one thing is complete faith in Jesus Christ as your only means of gaining access to Heaven.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
All wrong views of Christianity and other religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc believe you must do your own work to gain access to Heaven. The hardest to distinguish between are the various views of Christianity. Most will preach faith in Christ and then add good works etc.
In reality the good works a Christian does comes from Christ, not from self. It is God working in you. It is the “evidence” of your faith. It is the “tree that bears good fruit.” This in no way merits your entrance into God’s Kingdom.
We are all still sinful people, even when we are saved. It is Christ that separates us from the penalty of sin. All our righteousness are but filthy rags before God. Isaiah 64:6
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December 9, 2007
Are Islamic suicide bombers martyrs?
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The simple answer appears to be no according to the majority of view of Islam. While we are not experts in this arena there is a good deal of information relating to this. A good explanation is found at this web address http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyr.
Here is a synopsis. The word Martyr has some various meanings throughout history. The original Greek word meant Witness, not necessarily someone who dies. Throughout Christian history it primarily meant someone who dies for the witness of Christ. If a Western mind extrapolates this to Islam as someone who dies for the witness of Islam or Muhammad there can be a comparison. However, it is the method of death that confuses us as Westerners.
Traditionally, the death of a Martyr is not suicidal in nature. It is the death of the innocent at the hands of those who would kill in the name of their beliefs. Therefore, Islamic suicide bombers would not be included in the Western understanding of a Martyr.
The next, and more controversial, question is how Islam views a suicide bomber. Here is a quote from the wikipedia article.
“Muslims who die in a legitimate jihad bis saif (struggle with the sword, or Islamic holy war) are considered shaheed. This usage became controversial in the late 20th century (due to the Islamic strictures against suicide), when it was sometimes applied to suicide bombers by various groups. There is a huge controversy about the meaning of jihad in Islam, since Muhammad never claimed that suicide is equal to jihad; Jihad is an act of fighting for the Dar al Islam, either to defend it against an aggressor or to bring about its expansion. Where Muhammad explained, in hadith, that those who commit suicide are forbidden to even smell heaven. Many contend that these murders are contrary to the spirit of Islam, however is not justified as the Quran does not endorse such acts. One hadith by Abu Bakr "To fight against the infidels is Jihad; but to fight against your evil self is greater Jihad" is explicit evidence of the Western worlds misunderstanding of the concept of jihad.”
If one accepts this as authoritative then one must conclude that Islamic suicide bombers are not considered Martyrs by any standard, including Islamic standards. As a matter of conclusion, these suicide bombers not only do not receive their promised virgins, they do not even get to “smell heaven” according to the hadith.
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August 26, 2007
Can Christians Drink Alcohol
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Question:
I would like to know all bible verses referring to the subject of "drink". Fernented drink specifically. Both pro and con. Old testament and new. The issue is under much discussion im my community. Answer:
You can find all 367 verses relating to Drink by clicking the link below.
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=drink&searchtype=all&version1=49&spanbegin=1&spanend=73
You can find all 240 verses on Wine by clicking the link below
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=wine&searchtype=all&version1=49&spanbegin=1&spanend=73
These verses are in NAS version but you can look them up in whatever version you use. I will answer your question directly. First, I am assuming you are referring to the myth espoused by many that the Wine in the Bible was non alcoholic or that drinking at all is a sine.
For brevity’s sake we will cover only the New Testament verse that is most often quoted against drinking. Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Here is King James if you prefer: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit,
The keyword is “drunk.” Drunk does not have a legal basis at the time the Bible was written. For example, one cannot say at a blood alcohol level of .10 you are legally drunk according to the Bible. You can only determine what drunk is by seeing the actions of the person. In my humble opinion, someone is drunk once they act counter to the Scriptures. If you are treating people badly, breaking the law or making a fool of yourself I believe you are drunk.
On the other hand, if you have a few drinks with friends, do not treat people badly, do not break the law or make a fool of yourself you are not drunk in the sense of Ephesians 5:18.
The word translated to wine is “something pressed” in most passages I am familiar with. Some have argued that this is a grape juice and not an alcoholic wine. Let’s look at the first miracle of Jesus.
John 2:10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
In this particular verse is the evidence that the wine did contain alcohol. If it were grape juice then people would still notice the difference between good and poor wine. Having had experience with drinking in my youth I can testify that after you have a certain amount to drink you can barely tell the difference between good and poor wine.
If these two main arguments are not good enough there is always Church history. When did the prohibition of alcohol begin? Any student of history will tell you it started right here in America via the Fundamentalist and Pentecostal movements. Here is a good article link to Christianity Today. http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/features/ask/2002/jul12.html
Conclusion:
The Bible does not say drinking is a sin or else you may see the commandment “Though shalt not consume alcohol.” It simply says “don’t get drunk.” Jesus would never have turned water into wine if it were sinful. History shows that alcohol has only become a topic of discussion in the North American Churches in the past 120 years. Since the issue of alcohol is localized to the Americas one must ask if Christianity is only correct from the American perspective.
I do hope this helps to answer your question. |
August 26, 2007
The Authors of Proverbs
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Question:
HI My question is was the proverbs in the book of proverbs given to us by their authors or it could have even been stolen from them and given to us wont then the author be angry with the people who stole it and also us (to think deeper) because i dont know the full story .. please explain
Answer:
If one believes: 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” then the question is answered by this verse.
Even if the Proverbs were compiled from several original authors they are God-breathed or “inspired by God.” It all depends on your view of the Bible. Those that believe the Bible is the work of man will think very differently than those who believe the Bible is the work of God.
2 Peter 1:19 “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 3:1 “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? 4Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written:
"So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge."
The Bible is a very interesting set of 66 books compiled over more than 1,000 years by more than 40 various authors. To assign possible contention or anger between those that shared a common faith is highly unlikely. |
February 18, 2007
Wasted time
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With all the issues that face America, our representatives in Washington decide to play politics with war and waste the little time they have on symbolic votes. How about some substance? No matter what side of the war you are on and no matter what party you belong to, we all have to agree that symbolic votes waste time. If they really need to go on record one way or another do it in an hour, not in a week!
“One thing you can't recycle is wasted time” |
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March 19, 2007
How to dress for Church
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Dear roscoetn
Below is your question and an answer
Question: I have read somewhere in the bible that before you come
> before the Lord that you should wear your finest clothes. Could you
> find the scripture for me?Thank youAllen Veach
> Background: Pentacostal
Answer:
I have heard this said but personally I never read it anywhere. I did some searching today trying to find it in the Bible, to no avail. I even searched it out on Google and could not find it. However, I did find this very good article (below) on the whole subject of what we should wear. The article is found at this web address. http://www.iibee.com/credamus/dress.htm. There is no need for us to re-invent the wheel so we’re passing this approved article to you.
I will add that we must be careful when reading the Bible. The Old Testament is there for our benefit and reference. However, the New Testament takes precedence as it speaks to the Church. The Old Testament spoke to many various peoples including the Jews. I will have to write a short article on this to clarify things. Always ask yourself who the passage you are reading is referring too.
Regards,
Mike Kelly
Begin Quoted Article:
I had questions about what to wear to church:; Should I dress up in my finest clothes? If I dress up for church, am I dressing up for God's benefit or the other members of the church? If I don't dress up and it causes the other church goers to look down on me, am I being a stumbling block and causing them to sin? If I do dress up, do I make others who can't afford to dress up a stumbling block, by condoning wearing your nicest clothes to church? Is it not my heart that goes to church and not my wardrobe, doesn't Christ live in me 24 hours a day; and if I should dress up for church to be in Gods presence, should I not always be dressed up, for isn't God with me always? If the reason I dress up when I go to church, is because the church is the house of God, isn't the body the temple of the Lord that is always with me; and if so should I always be dressed up, or should I go to church in my everyday clothes?
These are the questions that were going through my mind. So I went to the Bible to try to find the answers. The following scriptures are all take from the New American Standard version of the Bible.
James 2:2-4 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing fine clothes, and say,"You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man,"You stand over there, or sit down by my foot stool," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
What I get out of reading James 2:2-4 is that you should not judge people by their appearance, but treat everyone equally. Now comes another question, if when people judge you by what you are wearing makes them sin, should you dress in a manner that you think they won't judge you to prevent them from sinning, or should you not dress up for them and rebuke them if they judge you to prevent them from future sin? Because it is possible that people might judge you regardless of what you wear.
1Tim 2:9 Likewise , I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,
1 Peter 3:3-4 Your adornment must not be merely external braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
1Peter 5:5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders: and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
1 Peter 3:3-4 says that God doesn't care about your outward appearance, but that it's what is in your heart that counts. I feel 1 Peter 5:5 says to be humble, I feel that dressing up in your finest clothes is more prideful than humble.
Jonah 3:5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
2 Kings 1:1 And when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD.
Rev 11:3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
Jeremiah 6:26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us.
Daniel 9:3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
Luke 10:13 Woe to you , Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
The previous verses describe how people in the past dressed to please the Lord. They dressed in sackcloth to humble themselves before the Lord. Sackcloth is dark goat hair used in making sacks, and worn in times of mourning.
The following are Bible verses have to do with those who dress up to impress other people.
Mark 12:38 In His teaching He was saying:"Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places,
Matt 23:5 But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
The following verses state not to worry about what you wear, because all that is important is you seek the Kingdom of God, and follow God with your hearts, and not with the garments you put on your body.
Matt 6:25 For this reason I say to you,do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing.28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field , which is alive today and tomorrow thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 "Do not worry then, saying,"What will we eat? or"What will we drink?"or "What will we wear for clothing?" 32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Joel 2:12-13 "Yet even now ," declares the LORD,"Return to Me with all your heart , And with fasting , weeping and mourning;13 And rend your heart and not your garments."
2 Corinth 5:12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.
The next few verses reminds us that we are all in Christ always, and 2 Corinth. 10:7 reminds us to look inwardly, and not outwardly, and that just as one person in a church is in Christ so are we all, and we should not judge other members of Christ' body by only looking at them outwardly.
2 Corinth. 10:7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we
1Corinth 6: 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
1 Corinth 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
We as members of Christ' body are always in His presence, and there is no time that we are instructed to dress differently than any other time. I feel that God wants us to worship Him with our hearts and motives, not with the clothing we put on. This is my opinion based on what I understand of what I've read in the Bible. I am not saying that you shouldn't dress up. You can dress however you like, I don't think how you dress matters, but if you decide to dress up for church, I just think you should examine your motives, and not judge others by their appearance.God is the only judge, it is not our place to judge anybody, especially on merely their appearance. I would like to conclude with a verse Jesus spoke.
Matt 11:6 " And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me"
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August 3, 2008
Does the 120 years mentioned in Genesis 6 refer to the human lifespan?
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This question comes from Matt
Does the 120 years mentioned in Genesis 6 refer to the human lifespan?
Below is the context from the NAS.
Genesis 6 (New American Standard Bible)New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Genesis 6
The Corruption of Mankind 1Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,
2that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
3Then the LORD said, "(A)My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, (B)because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
The New Living Translation says it this way:
Genesis 6 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Genesis 6
A World Gone Wrong
1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women[a] and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with[b] humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years."
After some research I tend to differ with this translation or the thought that God was limiting the lifespan of man to 120 years. Why? The answer is simple. Unlike Psalm 90 which places the general limit to a man's age between 70 and 80, a thing we can see that has varied widely throughout history, there is no evidence man's lifespan was 120 years (give or take) during this time or after the flood. See the list of ages below for reference looking at the ages of men after Noah.
Adam 930
Seth 912
Enosh 905
Kenan 910
Mahalalel 895
Jared 962
Methuselah 969
Lamech 777
Noah 950
Shem 600
Arpachshad 438
Shelah 433
Eber 464
Peleg 239
Reu 239
Serug 230
Nahor 148
Terah 205
Abraham 175
The closes one to 120 years of age is Nahor who lived to only 148! It is clear that the lifespan of man dropped after the flood but we don't see 120 years. What else could have this passage meant?
Many have suggested this 120 year period was from the time God revealed that He decided to flood the earth until he actually did it. Noah was 500 when he first mentioned in Genesis 5:32 and in his 600th year when he entered the ark according to Genesis 7:11. While that is only a period of 100 years we do not have a reference of time when God said man's remaining days would be 120 years. It could have easily been a 120 year period for all we know.
I would not get dogmatic about this at all. It is very difficult to tell for sure. All we know is man's lifespan did not seem to be shortened to 120 years but gradually was shortened to between 70 and 80 years. I would lean towards this scripture suggesting it was 120 years from the time God made the decree that he was going to destroy life on earth until he did so by the flood, Genesis 6:7.
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June 28, 2008
Money
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Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Wow, it is hard to get past this verse without seeing ourselves. Most of the world lives in poverty compared to Western Civilization. We all scream when gas goes up and up and the stock market goes down and down. I'm as guilty as anyone. It sometimes does us good to simply be glad we can still get by. After all, our treasure is not here on earth. At the same time we all need to llive. However, we do grow accustomed to our present style of living and try to maintain it.
If we remember to be good to one another in the name of Christ we store up treasure in heaven. Now that is a retirement plan that no 401k can match!
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March 24, 2008
The Pope
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I have often been asked if the Pope is really the representative of Christ on earth. The only passage I know that the Roman Catholics take this idea from is found in Matthew 16. I will add the whole passage below:
Matt 16:13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[b] the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it.[e] 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[f] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[g] loosed in heaven." 20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Roman Catholics argue that this means Peter is the first Pope. Protestants argue this simply means the Church will be built upon the revelation of who Jesus is by the Father in heaven.
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March 14, 2008
What is the basic difference between the world religions and true Christianity?
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There are multiple differences on many levels. However, if you are looking for just one simple answer here it is:
True Christianity requires only one thing. That one thing is complete faith in Jesus Christ as your only means of gaining access to Heaven.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
All wrong views of Christianity and other religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc believe you must do your own work to gain access to Heaven. The hardest to distinguish between are the various views of Christianity. Most will preach faith in Christ and then add good works etc.
In reality the good works a Christian does comes from Christ, not from self. It is God working in you. It is the “evidence” of your faith. It is the “tree that bears good fruit.” This in no way merits your entrance into God’s Kingdom.
We are all still sinful people, even when we are saved. It is Christ that separates us from the penalty of sin. All our righteousness are but filthy rags before God. Isaiah 64:6
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December 9, 2007
Are Islamic suicide bombers martyrs?
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The simple answer appears to be no according to the majority of view of Islam. While we are not experts in this arena there is a good deal of information relating to this. A good explanation is found at this web address http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyr.
Here is a synopsis. The word Martyr has some various meanings throughout history. The original Greek word meant Witness, not necessarily someone who dies. Throughout Christian history it primarily meant someone who dies for the witness of Christ. If a Western mind extrapolates this to Islam as someone who dies for the witness of Islam or Muhammad there can be a comparison. However, it is the method of death that confuses us as Westerners.
Traditionally, the death of a Martyr is not suicidal in nature. It is the death of the innocent at the hands of those who would kill in the name of their beliefs. Therefore, Islamic suicide bombers would not be included in the Western understanding of a Martyr.
The next, and more controversial, question is how Islam views a suicide bomber. Here is a quote from the wikipedia article.
“Muslims who die in a legitimate jihad bis saif (struggle with the sword, or Islamic holy war) are considered shaheed. This usage became controversial in the late 20th century (due to the Islamic strictures against suicide), when it was sometimes applied to suicide bombers by various groups. There is a huge controversy about the meaning of jihad in Islam, since Muhammad never claimed that suicide is equal to jihad; Jihad is an act of fighting for the Dar al Islam, either to defend it against an aggressor or to bring about its expansion. Where Muhammad explained, in hadith, that those who commit suicide are forbidden to even smell heaven. Many contend that these murders are contrary to the spirit of Islam, however is not justified as the Quran does not endorse such acts. One hadith by Abu Bakr "To fight against the infidels is Jihad; but to fight against your evil self is greater Jihad" is explicit evidence of the Western worlds misunderstanding of the concept of jihad.”
If one accepts this as authoritative then one must conclude that Islamic suicide bombers are not considered Martyrs by any standard, including Islamic standards. As a matter of conclusion, these suicide bombers not only do not receive their promised virgins, they do not even get to “smell heaven” according to the hadith.
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August 26, 2007
Can Christians Drink Alcohol
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Question:
I would like to know all bible verses referring to the subject of "drink". Fernented drink specifically. Both pro and con. Old testament and new. The issue is under much discussion im my community. Answer:
You can find all 367 verses relating to Drink by clicking the link below.
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=drink&searchtype=all&version1=49&spanbegin=1&spanend=73
You can find all 240 verses on Wine by clicking the link below
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=wine&searchtype=all&version1=49&spanbegin=1&spanend=73
These verses are in NAS version but you can look them up in whatever version you use. I will answer your question directly. First, I am assuming you are referring to the myth espoused by many that the Wine in the Bible was non alcoholic or that drinking at all is a sine.
For brevity’s sake we will cover only the New Testament verse that is most often quoted against drinking. Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Here is King James if you prefer: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit,
The keyword is “drunk.” Drunk does not have a legal basis at the time the Bible was written. For example, one cannot say at a blood alcohol level of .10 you are legally drunk according to the Bible. You can only determine what drunk is by seeing the actions of the person. In my humble opinion, someone is drunk once they act counter to the Scriptures. If you are treating people badly, breaking the law or making a fool of yourself I believe you are drunk.
On the other hand, if you have a few drinks with friends, do not treat people badly, do not break the law or make a fool of yourself you are not drunk in the sense of Ephesians 5:18.
The word translated to wine is “something pressed” in most passages I am familiar with. Some have argued that this is a grape juice and not an alcoholic wine. Let’s look at the first miracle of Jesus.
John 2:10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
In this particular verse is the evidence that the wine did contain alcohol. If it were grape juice then people would still notice the difference between good and poor wine. Having had experience with drinking in my youth I can testify that after you have a certain amount to drink you can barely tell the difference between good and poor wine.
If these two main arguments are not good enough there is always Church history. When did the prohibition of alcohol begin? Any student of history will tell you it started right here in America via the Fundamentalist and Pentecostal movements. Here is a good article link to Christianity Today. http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/features/ask/2002/jul12.html
Conclusion:
The Bible does not say drinking is a sin or else you may see the commandment “Though shalt not consume alcohol.” It simply says “don’t get drunk.” Jesus would never have turned water into wine if it were sinful. History shows that alcohol has only become a topic of discussion in the North American Churches in the past 120 years. Since the issue of alcohol is localized to the Americas one must ask if Christianity is only correct from the American perspective.
I do hope this helps to answer your question. |
August 26, 2007
The Authors of Proverbs
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Question:
HI My question is was the proverbs in the book of proverbs given to us by their authors or it could have even been stolen from them and given to us wont then the author be angry with the people who stole it and also us (to think deeper) because i dont know the full story .. please explain
Answer:
If one believes: 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” then the question is answered by this verse.
Even if the Proverbs were compiled from several original authors they are God-breathed or “inspired by God.” It all depends on your view of the Bible. Those that believe the Bible is the work of man will think very differently than those who believe the Bible is the work of God.
2 Peter 1:19 “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 3:1 “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? 4Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written:
"So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge."
The Bible is a very interesting set of 66 books compiled over more than 1,000 years by more than 40 various authors. To assign possible contention or anger between those that shared a common faith is highly unlikely. |
February 18, 2007
Wasted time
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With all the issues that face America, our representatives in Washington decide to play politics with war and waste the little time they have on symbolic votes. How about some substance? No matter what side of the war you are on and no matter what party you belong to, we all have to agree that symbolic votes waste time. If they really need to go on record one way or another do it in an hour, not in a week!
“One thing you can't recycle is wasted time” |
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