How merciful is God?

[Gobeyond]

I’m not sure how merciful God is. Obedience might be better. What about going to church, how important is it. What about for the sick? Should everything be overcome to obey God because where God calls He empowers? What about chronic pain. Is it all right to go to church in the comfort of your own home? How merciful is God as a topic for discussion!

What about the mentally ill, if they can’t obey in everything, can’t get to church, but repent over and over. They believe with all their heart but can’t over come mental illness. These people might only have a little bit of interest but God would accept them.

Where is the cutoff to God about how much you sin before he doesn’t forgive you, before he doesn’t believe your repentance. Will he notify you?

My pastor seems to think that there is no good reason not to be in church and has me wondering if that person would be saved from the wrath to come.

[a danl]

I’m not sure how merciful God is. Obedience might be better. What about going to church, how important is it. What about for the sick? Should everything be overcome to obey God because where God calls He empowers? What about chronic pain. Is it all right to go to church in the comfort of your own home? How merciful is God as a topic for discussion!

What about the mentally ill, if they can’t obey in everything, can’t get to church, but repent over and over. They believe with all their heart but can’t over come mental illness. These people might only have a little bit of interest but God would accept them.

Where is the cutoff to God about how much you sin before he doesn’t forgive you, before he doesn’t believe your repentance. Will he notify you?

My pastor seems to think that there is no good reason not to be in church and has me wondering if that person would be saved from the wrath to come.

the bible states that you should not forsake the assembling of others. for the sick we should visit them and comfort them with the word

[Bigslug]

People that don't go to church aren't paying the church's bills. This may have something to do with the sin of not going to church getting somewhat elevated in the church's hierarchy of evil-doing.

[Txcowboy52]

People tend to forget, the church is not the building, the church is the people. When two or more are gathered in my name I will be there. You can have church anywhere. I believe the lord is the only one who knows his business. There are things we don’t understand. Who are we to question his business? Just my humble opinion.

[farmbif]

is this like a soup question? I guess you had to see the movie. anyway gods Ten Commandments says thou shall not kill, well if your leader or head honcho political operative says the army shall go to war and your a soldier and you kill in that war, well, would god take mercy on you for breaking one of his commandments because you were just following instructions from the leader or your country or army?
and its just the right good human thing to visit and help the sick when they are one of your family or friends.

[.429&H110]

Whoa!
"church's bills" is cynical. That building will need $$$$.
Power, water, insurance, (internet?)(really? we're on utube?)
The first saints met on a roof with the Romans pounding on the door.
We may come to that yet...

If and if a church is meant to be
that church will grow and teach the Word of God
because our Lord will provide
and His people are called to serve.
"...you will know them by their fruits..."

How merciful is God?
Much more merciful than this fallen world.

Grace is getting what you don't deserve
Mercy is not getting what you truly deserve

We need God's Grace.
Grace is free, abundant,
but you do have to ask politely.

The world says:
If I were God, I wouldn't do that...
No, I'm not God. He Is.

Where else in this world would you go to hear the Word?
For me, I'm called to a church of the Book.

[Saxon]

"God" is not willing that any perish but that "All" would come to repentance. the Greek word for all is ALL.
also the parable of the prodigal son, you can't out sin God's forgiveness.
but shall we wallow in sin so that grace may abound? may it never be.

[.429&H110]

Mental illness may be beyond the scope of this.
I had a roommate that was an institutionalized schizophrenic until he was a teenager, then one day they tried lithium on him and he said "The world stopped spinning". He didn't drive, walked to work, his dad said it was a miracle, took him to church faithfully and to his support group, and the kid made more money than I did. So drugs can help. But we were not made to be alone.

But IMHO lately we are seeing drugs and booze causing mental illness.
These kids are taking a combination of drugs "off label".
We have a need, a God-shaped hole, something missing, that only faith can answer.
Anti-anxiety drugs are fine, until pointing a gun at a cop doesn't make the patient anxious.

I pray I live long enough to see the fifth great revival. Bring it, Lord!

[Teddy (punchie)]

Look up some of these words and topics in the bible.

Kingdom

Church

Meeting places that Jesus used.

The Word

Meek

Humble

Children

Read what Bible says about wealthy or rich.

Most love the idea of a huge meeting place where is it ordered to have one.

[.429&H110]

If you are looking up words look up "Truth".

We live in a Post-Truth world.

Truth means reality.

"What is truth?" said Pilate and walked away.

[Wayne Smith]

It is not 'how merciful is God'. It is a question if your church belongs to your pastor or to God. Too many Churches belong to the pastor, to the leadership, or to the congregation, but not to God. As stated above, if God does not build the house those who labor do so in vain.

If you want to know how merciful God is go to Deuteronomy and read the 10 Commandments - then read the verse immediately after. The verse immediately after is God telling them how to build an alter - how to communicate with God. It's like He's telling them "Here are the rules, and I know you can't keep them, so here is how you talk to me about it - your failure. This goes through the complete Old Testament, God tries to set people up for success and we keep failing. But He sent his Son to show us how to do it right, and to die for us and live after so we can. He also sent His Spirit to indwell us so we can keep His word, at least a little. But we are complete failures once again, and we rely on Christ and what He did rather than on what we do. When we accept Christ God sees us as perfect as Christ - and that is his mercy to forgive us all our faults and failures and see us as Christ.

So, how merciful is God? Infinitely.

[GhostHawk]

"Feed my Sheep"

Are you obeying his will? Are you following where he is leading you? Do you truly serve him?

I know the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves.

And I know I asked him what he wanted me to do.

The Answer, quite simple and perfectly tailored to what I can do.

A Continue to post here where I see a post where I can perhaps reach someone.

B Take care of St Peggy, my widowed neighbor 2 houses north of me.

So if Peggy has a problem, large or small, and I hear about it, I deal with it. Everything from replacing a washer in a garden hose to stop it dripping to helping her financially at times when things catch up with her. Like her van needing new brakes and a new master cylinder. She had some of it, but was 500$ short, and the shop did not want to release her car without more money. So I walked down to her house, handed her 5 100$ bills. Smiled, said don't thank me, thank the Big guy upstairs.

As I was walking home I heard the words I always wanted to hear, but was afraid I never would.

"William Thomas thou good and faithful servant, well done, I am proud of you"

I went to my knees in the gravel of the alley, tears rolling down my face.

DO HIS WILL!
Feed his sheep, minister to his flock, spread the gospel by example if nothing else.
Forgive your enemy's, love those who persecute you. Be good to all you meet.

[Teddy (punchie)]

If you are looking up words look up "Truth".

We live in a Post-Truth world.

Truth means reality.

"What is truth?" said Pilate and walked away.

God, Jesus are truth and the Devil is the lair

[dverna]

It is not 'how merciful is God'. It is a question if your church belongs to your pastor or to God. Too many Churches belong to the pastor, to the leadership, or to the congregation, but not to God. As stated above, if God does not build the house those who labor do so in vain.

If you want to know how merciful God is go to Deuteronomy and read the 10 Commandments - then read the verse immediately after. The verse immediately after is God telling them how to build an alter - how to communicate with God. It's like He's telling them "Here are the rules, and I know you can't keep them, so here is how you talk to me about it - your failure. This goes through the complete Old Testament, God tries to set people up for success and we keep failing. But He sent his Son to show us how to do it right, and to die for us and live after so we can. He also sent His Spirit to indwell us so we can keep His word, at least a little. But we are complete failures once again, and we rely on Christ and what He did rather than on what we do. When we accept Christ God sees us as perfect as Christ - and that is his mercy to forgive us all our faults and failures and see us as Christ.

So, how merciful is God? Infinitely.

Very well stated.

[Good Cheer]

Our creator made individuals and deals with us as such but made a line we cannot cross and still be forgiven.
That's the best answer I can come up with right now to the original question.

[Gobeyond]

Sure, God loves us, and He forgives us over and over again, for our whole lives. He is merciful when we sin and there doesn’t seem to be any limit. God is faithful when we are not. And we shouldn’t continue in sin.

But the mentally ill have the same standard as the rest of us? And if a person is so sick that they don’t go to the local church very often, but go to church online instead. Can God deny them heaven or the rapture? And how much weight does your pastors opinion count for. God is merciful but God expects obedience.

[Lloyd Smale]

God in the old testament was much different the Jesus was in the new. he had no problem with ethnic cleansing or war and people being killed. Wiped out the whole world in a flood. I wouldnt count on all the slack some say he will cut us. Going to church once a week for an hour isnt getting you there. you need to WORSHIP him. 1500 years ago people LIVED religion. Every day and all day. It isnt the same today and is getting steadily worse. my guess is the God i know from the first testament is very close to saying enough and doing a full on Sodom and Gomoa. i would guess the first to go will be the ones who come on internet forums bragging about how fine of a Christian they are and judging others

[Gobeyond]

God is merciful as you all say. But He loves obedience. We are so apt to say we can’t obey, we sin, we are weak people. We always fall short of perfection would be a more reasonable claim if we were as strong in the word as we should be. We can not do all the major sins if we have self control. A little more study, for me too, could add a little more holiness to our lives.

[snowwolfe]

I have always thought as God as being vindictive and to some extent, mean. He set the rules a long time ago and it is his way or the highway (so to speak). I fail to see what, if any compassion he has for the humans he put on this earth.

[ioon44]

God sent His only Son to earth in a fleshly body to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life, the ultimate act of love and compassion. All we have to do is accept the free gift of eternal life that is offered through Jesus Christ.

[No_1]

Merciful?

There are lots of interpretations (opinions) on how to get through the gates. Does one have to attend church / tithe / preach the word OR can one can get in by using the Bible as guidance to praising the Lord while living a life which respects the (his) body which is on loan to you?

I sure hope he is merciful.

[BLAHUT]

I’m not sure how merciful God is. Obedience might be better. What about going to church, how important is it. What about for the sick? Should everything be overcome to obey God because where God calls He empowers? What about chronic pain. Is it all right to go to church in the comfort of your own home? How merciful is God as a topic for discussion!

What about the mentally ill, if they can’t obey in everything, can’t get to church, but repent over and over. They believe with all their heart but can’t over come mental illness. These people might only have a little bit of interest but God would accept them.

Where is the cutoff to God about how much you sin before he doesn’t forgive you, before he doesn’t believe your repentance. Will he notify you?

My pastor seems to think that there is no good reason not to be in church and has me wondering if that person would be saved from the wrath to come.

I really do not know, all I know is that I died, and was sent back here, why I do not know, there must be a special purpose in GOD's mind ?

[1hole]

Sure, God loves us, and He forgives us over and over again, for our whole lives.

That's true. In both this life and an eternal later


He is merciful when we sin and there doesn’t seem to be any limit. God is faithful when we are not.

Correct again. There is only ONE unforgivable exception to God's forgiveness; blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as a liar when he testifies to our hearts about Lord Jesus.


And we shouldn’t continue in sin when HE presents the gospel to our heart.

Absolutely. We MUST be born again in faith in order to be saved and while none of us lives as well as we should we cannot be born again if we remain as we were without evidences that we are indeed new in heart. Claiming to be believers is hollow if there is no evidence of spiritual change in our lives.


But the mentally ill have the same standard as the rest of us?

No. We will only be beheld accountable for failing to do what we know about and can do.


And if a person is so sick that they don’t go to the local church very often, but go to church online instead.

Some preachers (usually those of the loud and self righteous gasp and shout school) judge people for their poor church attendance. I suspect harsh pulpit judges would have much better church attendance if they would (1) strive to give better sermons, plus (2) spend more time softly telling folks about God's gentle love and less time shouting at them about how vengenful He might be.

Going to "church" for the right reasons is good for us but no one has yet been sent to hell due to a spotty record of church attendance.


Can God deny them heaven or the rapture? And how much weight does your pastors opinion count for. God is merciful but God expects obedience.

1. God can do whatever he chooses to do but he won't do anything contrary to his nature. Remember that our ticket to heaven is by the LOVE of God, heaven is NOT something we can earn.

2. You can bet that God isn't going to consult with a pastor or anyone else about your acceptance in heaven.

3. God desires perfection but in his mercy, like our own earthly children, he knows we won't achieve that. That's why Jesus chose to die on a bloody cross to pay the full penalty for our sins. Never forget for a moment that salvation is a freely given gift from God, it's not a due payment for some unknowable level of human service. In fact, if any part of our salvation had to be fairly earned no one would ever be saved! (Eph 2:8-11)

[Hogtamer]

Peter: How many times must I forgive this brother who’s doing me wrong? Seven times?
Jesus: Let’s go with seventy times seven or as much as it takes.

Matthew 18

[Good Cheer]

I have always thought as God as being vindictive and to some extent, mean. He set the rules a long time ago and it is his way or the highway (so to speak). I fail to see what, if any compassion he has for the humans he put on this earth.

Good morning snowwolfe.
What I've gotten so far from studying is that we get to come here to decide whether to go with our father or go with the rebellion. If somebody gets straightened out then there's a place for him and there's the mercy, the love, the compassion.
We're attending daily classes on what the rebellion is good for.
If somebody wants rebellion, just wants it their way, then there's the road.
So yeah, my understanding of the matter is that it's His way or the highway.

[William Yanda]

How merciful? Great.

[Good Cheer]

I've heard it called tough love.
Look at how He deals with His children that come to Earth without passing through the water.
Pretty tough.

[Alabama358]

Where is the cutoff to God about how much you sin before he doesn’t forgive you, before he doesn’t believe your repentance. Will he notify you?


It seems there are a few lines that God tells us that should not be crossed.

Four Examples would be.

A) Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost

Matthew 12:31
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

B) Homosexuality will get you given over to be a Reprobate

Romans 1:26-28
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

C) Taking the mark of the Beast

Revelation 14:9-10
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

D) Adding to or taking away, tampering with or perverting scripture with false doctrine

Revelation 22: 18-19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

[Gobeyond]

To those of you who doubt God and his compassion, you can do it. You have only to humble yourselves to him and He will lift you up. Believe Him, He is trustworthy. He will do all He has said He will do. He sent Jesus and he proved he was God. You can believe him- the good with the bad. He will have a relationship with you. He has armed you to fight the enemy and find freedom in him. Freedom from the guilt of sin and freedom to live your life in him. Don’t be addicted to your sin, God can free you. Repentance is for getting forgiveness and trying again. You at least have to be trying.

God is merciful, He wants holiness not perfection. He is a comfort in our struggles. God of all comfort. He has given us all we need to be godly. He has taken away our animosity with God. We can pray to him he is not our enemy. Make the best of it.
He has given us a hard row to hoe. But we can do it with his strength. We can be victorious in living. He loves us. If we are working toward him, he will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory.

God is good and his timing is perfect. Reach out to him and he will touch you. There is plenty to be glad about in the Lord.
His yoke is light his burden is easy. How many of us came to him for Gods promise of rest. Life is hard then you come to Christ hopefully. It is foolishness not to.

[Lloyd Smale]

Merciful?

There are lots of interpretations (opinions) on how to get through the gates. Does one have to attend church / tithe / preach the word OR can one can get in by using the Bible as guidance to praising the Lord while living a life which respects the (his) body which is on loan to you?

I sure hope he is merciful.

i dont believe you need a bible either. for most of history since the birth of Jesus normar people didnt have bibles or access to them. did none of them go to heaven. the jewish people worship the same God we do but dont use the new testament. does that mean none of them can go to heaven? i think you said something very correct though the bible is a guide or instruction book. I dont believe it was meant to be used like some do. their whole religion consists of studying the bible. obsessed with finding hidden meanings in it, twisting scripture to fit there agenda. worse of all using it as a tool to impress others by memorizing it.

because of people like that the bible has caused more fights and arguments and even wars the any other book in history. its an instruction manual and ill catch flack for this. i dont believe it was wrote by God. if so why didnt the son of God, Jesus, didnt tell us all it wouldbe given to us by his father. He is one with God and would have surely known. it was wrote by catholic munks and thats why it can be confusing. i would think if God wrote it he wouldnt have left room for man to debate HIS words. i think its a useful tool. kind of like a repair manual. if i want to know what oil to use in my ram i can look it up. but i dont waist my time finding out what the chemical composition of it is or where it was refined or where the crude came from. my time is much better spent changing the oil. God wont test you on bible knowledge at the pearly gates but he might just ask you why you wasted so much time that could have been used to help others memorizing a book.

think about the FACT that disagreeing on scipture meaning is responsible for splitting christians into over a hundred different churches with more every year even today and how that has weakened christianity. i know people that detest other faiths more then they detest atheists. all do to egotistical beliefs that they understand the real meanings in the bible and the rest of us are wrong

[ioon44]

John 14:6
New King James Version
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

[Lloyd Smale]

"through him" are the key words. not through a book that some get so carried away with that it becomes an idol that they worship as much as God. your time is much better spent in prayer to God then memorizing scripture or worse yet trying to find some secret message in it so you can be the star at friday bible study. Remember one HUGE TRUTH. Jesus never even once mentioned the bible. He had no clue some catholic monks would write it. Only bible he verified as the word of God was the old testament and i never heard him tell his apostles they had to memorize it to be a good Christian or a good preacher. I doubt all the apostles could even read. the only one theres proof of literacy that i ever saw is Jesus and Paul. Id bet that as late as the 1800s not one person in a hundred even saw a bible. If they did chances are it was written in Latin and even them most people couldnt have even read it if it was in english. i dont think it was even translated into english till around 1500. even i can remember as a young kid going to the catholic mass and the mass was in Latin then. I believe Christians before 1500 believed they could get into heaven without holding a bible they memorized over there heads.

[Wayne Smith]

Lloyd, you are right - it is 'through Christ', not through any Church or any other organized religion. All too many people believe in the Church, but no Church has saving power. Only Christ has that.

[.429&H110]

How merciful is God?

We have His Word.
We have His witnesses, people who have had their lives changed by faith.
We have prayer, to ask Him to change our lives.
We have a sanctuary, a holy place to step over the stumblingstones.
We have men called, equipped, chosen to lead us in our walk.
We have our own relationship with the Almighty, our faith, individual.

And we have the world that rejects salvation and worships itself, American Idol.

"Faith comes from hearing
and hearing comes from the Word of God"
(is that from Hebrews?)

I have faith a monk did not write the Bible
they only dared to make copies, and we can find their typos.

So who wrote the first Bible?
G1:1 "In the beginning, God..."

Amen

[Lloyd Smale]

How merciful is God?

We have His Word.
We have His witnesses, people who have had their lives changed by faith.
We have prayer, to ask Him to change our lives.
We have a sanctuary, a holy place to step over the stumblingstones.
We have men called, equipped, chosen to lead us in our walk.
We have our own relationship with the Almighty, our faith, individual.

And we have the world that rejects salvation and worships itself, American Idol.

"Faith comes from hearing
and hearing comes from the Word of God"
(is that from Hebrews?)

I have faith a monk did not write the Bible
they only dared to make copies, and we can find their typos.

So who wrote the first Bible?
G1:1 "In the beginning, God..."

Amen

on which day did he create the first paper mill and why didnt he tell his son he wrote it? youd had better have faith because the facts dont back up your believe. its pretty much common knowledge that the first bible was wrote by monks. just as factual as all Lutheran faiths have there roots in a disgruntled catholic priest. even his beliefs were closer to the catholic church then they are some of the modern liberal Protestant faiths that came from his beliefs. in my opinion for what its worth to go to heaven i have to have faith and belief in GOD AND HIS SON. I dont have to have faith in a church or book or any mans opinion on either of those.

[Rizzo]

John 14:6
New King James Version
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


....... the jewish people worship the same God we do but dont use the new testament. does that mean none of them can go to heaven?

It would seem that from the Bible quote above that only Christians get to the Father (Heaven).

God loving people (Jews, etc.) who died before or after the coming of Jesus apparently did not make it to heaven.

I do not agree with that belief despite how that Bible passage has been interpreted.
We are all God's children....not just the Christians.

[Lloyd Smale]

It would seem that from the Bible quote above that only Christians get to the Father (Heaven).

God loving people (Jews, etc.) who died before or after the coming of Jesus apparently did not make it to heaven.

I do not agree with that belief despite how that Bible passage has been interpreted.
We are all God's children....not just the Christians.

i totaly agree with you.

[farmbif]

since no one can speak from the grave I dont think any of us mortal souls will ever know for sure how merciful god is. the only reference we have is from words written by other men. I guess we will each find out on our judgement day.
in the mean time, go without sin and do your best to live your life each and every day in the best way you possibly can. and hopefully we will lead productive meaningful lives that can be a good example to your children and others who you involve in your life.
how many days has it been since I was born? how many days until I die? they go by very quickly so use your time wisely.

[Alabama358]

"through him" are the key words. not through a book that some get so carried away with that it becomes an idol that they worship as much as God. Where exactly did those 2 key words "through him" come from? My guess would be the Bible


your time is much better spent in prayer to God then memorizing scripture or worse yet trying to find some secret message in it so you can be the star at friday bible study. Obliviously you were embarrassed during a Friday bible study that you were ill prepared to defend your position, so now you have taken to criticizing the entire New Testament as being fraudulent to make yourself feel better


Remember one HUGE TRUTH. Jesus never even once mentioned the bible.
Not sure how anyone could make that statement with a serious face.
Who exactly wrote all that Old Testament Scripture that Jesus had "memorized" and quoted constantly? That would be "men" by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit... the same as the New Testament.



even i can remember as a young kid going to the catholic mass and the mass was in Latin then.
This explains a lot regarding your disdain for the bible.
If I am not mistaking, it was the Catholic church that burned folks at the stake for owning, reading or memorizing the bible back in the day.

Just to be clear... What part of the New Testament Bible do you think is legitimate scripture?

[Gobeyond]

Jesus is the word or Bible, the Word is Jesus. You can all think of excuses not to do stuff including believing the Bible. It was written after Jesus ascended to heaven. By the very men whose name is on it, under the influence of the Holy Spirit. They agree and they all have a different message to teach. Four views of Jesus, five really with Paul. The same but different. How else could we remember for so long. They haven’t changed only the language. (: all Jews, but the Jews largely didn’t believe Him. So they wrote it down- eyewitnesses!

The Jews who had died were preached by Jesus in Sheol. If they believed in the messiah then, they went to heaven. Roman historians wrote of Jesus, clues have been found of the times. Mostly it’s a leap of faith by trusting in God. Don’t be unbelieving but believing…. The Bible is all about Jesus, we need it. Otherwise what have you? It is the inspired words of God. You can’t get yourself saved any other way, but by following Jesus, believing him and getting your sins forgiven by God. Only God can forgive sins. God is merciful, but it takes some obedience too. You can make a decision for Him and continue in it. You can stop the major sins, you can lead a holy life and you must! It takes devotion to the truth of Jesus Christ, the father and the Holy Spirit and there perfect will for you.

[Lloyd Smale]

Where exactly did those 2 key words "through him" come from? My guess would be the Bible

Obliviously you were embarrassed during a Friday bible study that you were ill prepared to defend your position, so now you have taken to criticizing the entire New Testament as being fraudulent to make yourself feel better


Not sure how anyone could make that statement with a serious face.
Who exactly wrote all that Old Testament Scripture that Jesus had "memorized" and quoted constantly? That would be "men" by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit... the same as the New Testament.



This explains a lot regarding your disdain for the bible.
If I am not mistaking, it was the Catholic church that burned folks at the stake for owning, reading or memorizing the bible back in the day.

Just to be clear... What part of the New Testament Bible do you think is legitimate scripture?

and you act like a fine Christian:evil: learn that in your book[smilie=l: by the way if God wrote it how do you feel about it being changed BY MAN https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Bible

[Alabama358]

and you act like a fine Christian:evil: learn that in your book[smilie=l: by the way if God wrote it how do you feel about it being changed BY MAN https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Bible

:bigsmyl2:
I just had an image of a fellow citing Wikipedia as his source of knowledge at a Friday evening bible study and being rebuked by someone well studied in scripture.
Heck... an arrogant fella might stay butt-hurt for quite a long period of time following an episode like that. :groner:

[.429&H110]

The Apostles had no paper.
The codexes are written in Greek on parchment or linen
The Bible was old before monks were new.

I am about as far from a Lutheran belief, as I am from a Calvinist belief.
I grew up on the north shore of Boston, half my friends went to the Irish Catholic church, half my friends went to the Italian Catholic church while I went to the Puritan Calvinist Congregational church. We were none of us Christian, we were wild. I mean evil.

The movie Jesus Revolution tells the 60's story pretty well from my point of view, I saw the Light.
A very bright Light, a changing healing Light, I once was lost.
I had to make sure that what I had found (or found me) was really real.
The gathering of knowledge is the asking of many questions.
If you want to find out, you have to go and look.
I think my faith is real, but I will be sure to ask Him when I see Him.
Yup, I am a Yankee. We don't usually go about believing things on faith.

I do not believe in religion, I believe in relationship.
The church that comes closest to my faith, as I understand it,
is an independent Baptist church.
They believe the promises in the Book.
So do I.

I believe the only thing that can keep America from splitting into several oligarchies is a return to the faith of our fathers. Revival. Fads come and go and the progressive communists have had their turn. When we are dead and gone, it will be up to the millenials to say what country they want to live in. There will be a solid core of Christians to help them to remember the Book. The millenials will understand better when they have kids of their own. We just had an amazing vacation bible school, better than ever.

Meanwhile we have old folks on morphine driving themselves to the doctor. We have old folks walking their dogs, and the dogs lead them back home. We have old folks that used to go to church, but now they don't know anybody there. We have old folks in AZ with their grandkids in OH. Yesterday I peeled an old lady off the hot concrete in front of Fry's as the crowd hurried by, no harm done, the manager bandaged her knee.

It's not a church thing: it is a relationship with our Lord, and how we are going to serve him today.

Genesis says He made us male or female, though some do doubt it.

[Lloyd Smale]

:bigsmyl2:
I just had an image of a fellow citing Wikipedia as his source of knowledge at a Friday evening bible study and being rebuked by someone well studied in scripture.
Heck... an arrogant fella might stay butt-hurt for quite a long period of time following an episode like that. :groner:

well studied in scipture? so that means he has HIS opinion and like anyone else its just an opinion. Ill go back to that if God wrote it he wouldnt leave room for some bible study group to decide what he meant. He would know doubt tell us exactly what he meant. He would have also told his son to prepare us for its coming. God is perfect. He makes no mistakes or would have any problem writing a book in a way ALL men would know exactly what he meant.

your bible study just proves my point as does the fact theres over a 100 different Christian faiths that think there right and you and i are wrong. Is Jesus not one with God. why didnt he know?? As the son of God isnt he to perfect and wouldnt he want us all to know the truth? or does he reserve that for you or your buddy or a couple old ladies at bible study. but you reveling in someone being embarrassed at bible study is just wrong in so many ways

I would NEVER claim that i have the hole book figured out and my opinion is the right one. That right there would be a mortal sin. Your personal attacks roll of me like water. It is the best example i can give today of why God didnt right it. he certainly didnt intend for you to sin based on his word. Jesus sure wouldnt want anyone to get as you say "but hurt" over his fathers wishes.

your example and attacks prove it doesnt take a real Christian to read the bible and memorizing that book sure doesnt make you a Christian and winning an argument at bible study doesnt make you a better Christian either. Believing in Jesus Christ and Living your life as close to the way Jesus wants us too is how you get to heaven. You sure as hell dont get there by embarrassing someone at bible study.

Seems you think you can tell me im not a good Christian because i havent memorized a book which by the way ive read cover to cover. didnt Jesus say its Gods job to judge. Instead of spending hours in bible study maybe you should spend that time actually being a Christian instead of trying to find hidden messages in it. Id sure like to see you get to heaven. im out of this one now so ill let you have the last sin. this whole thread shows that just like i said its a book and a book thats just as responsible for tearing Christians apart as it is bring them together. ill end it with this. here is good example of someone thinking they had it figured out and why God wouldnt have left it to mortal men
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_Adolf_Hitler he is only one of many that have justified killing using the bible

i dont dislike the bible. its the greatest history book ever written and without it Jesus's life on earth would have forgotten over the years. but thats what it is. A history book that is a copulation of first had accounts from people that lived then. not some idol that is worshipped by some. God is holy not a book. God didnt write it man did. God didnt claim it was holy man did. God didnt even mention it and neither did his son.

[Alabama358]

The Apostles had no paper.
The codexes are written in Greek on parchment or linen
The Bible was old before monks were new.

I am about as far from a Lutheran belief, as I am from a Calvinist belief.
I grew up on the north shore of Boston, half my friends went to the Irish Catholic church, half my friends went to the Italian Catholic church while I went to the Puritan Calvinist Congregational church. We were none of us Christian, we were wild. I mean evil.

The movie Jesus Revolution tells the 60's story pretty well from my point of view, I saw the Light.
A very bright Light, a changing healing Light, I once was lost.
I had to make sure that what I had found (or found me) was really real.
The gathering of knowledge is the asking of many questions.
If you want to find out, you have to go and look.
I think my faith is real, but I will be sure to ask Him when I see Him.
Yup, I am a Yankee. We don't usually go about believing things on faith.

I do not believe in religion, I believe in relationship.
The church that comes closest to my faith, as I understand it,
is an independent Baptist church.
They believe the promises in the Book.
So do I.

I believe the only thing that can keep America from splitting into several oligarchies is a return to the faith of our fathers. Revival. Fads come and go and the progressive communists have had their turn. When we are dead and gone, it will be up to the millenials to say what country they want to live in. There will be a solid core of Christians to help them to remember the Book. The millenials will understand better when they have kids of their own. We just had an amazing vacation bible school, better than ever.

Meanwhile we have old folks on morphine driving themselves to the doctor. We have old folks walking their dogs, and the dogs lead them back home. We have old folks that used to go to church, but now they don't know anybody there. We have old folks in AZ with their grandkids in OH. Yesterday I peeled an old lady off the hot concrete in front of Fry's as the crowd hurried by, no harm done, the manager bandaged her knee.

It's not a church thing: it is a relationship with our Lord, and how we are going to serve him today.

Genesis says He made us male or female, though some do doubt it.

Nice Post .429

[BLAHUT]

i dont believe you need a bible either. for most of history since the birth of Jesus normar people didnt have bibles or access to them. did none of them go to heaven. the jewish people worship the same God we do but dont use the new testament. does that mean none of them can go to heaven? i think you said something very correct though the bible is a guide or instruction book. I dont believe it was meant to be used like some do. their whole religion consists of studying the bible. obsessed with finding hidden meanings in it, twisting scripture to fit there agenda. worse of all using it as a tool to impress others by memorizing it.

because of people like that the bible has caused more fights and arguments and even wars the any other book in history. its an instruction manual and ill catch flack for this. i dont believe it was wrote by God. if so why didnt the son of God, Jesus, didnt tell us all it wouldbe given to us by his father. He is one with God and would have surely known. it was wrote by catholic munks and thats why it can be confusing. i would think if God wrote it he wouldnt have left room for man to debate HIS words. i think its a useful tool. kind of like a repair manual. if i want to know what oil to use in my ram i can look it up. but i dont waist my time finding out what the chemical composition of it is or where it was refined or where the crude came from. my time is much better spent changing the oil. God wont test you on bible knowledge at the pearly gates but he might just ask you why you wasted so much time that could have been used to help others memorizing a book.

think about the FACT that disagreeing on scipture meaning is responsible for splitting christians into over a hundred different churches with more every year even today and how that has weakened christianity. i know people that detest other faiths more then they detest atheists. all do to egotistical beliefs that they understand the real meanings in the bible and the rest of us are wrong

GOD gave every man/woman, the ability to chose, believe, do not believe, use your gift of choice as you see fit..... Only Yours's to choose...
Choose wisely.... Do not push others to your choice.... If needed, lead by example...

[Gobeyond]

Jesus is the way, the truth and the light, just as it is in the Bible. He gave it to us and you can see what man has done with it. Same with creation. But you can’t blame God. He is still there to follow- the perfect way. But why don’t we all think so? Some people are right in studying it. Some people interpret it well, but we all have our weaknesses. The problem is when you exclude everyone else from being right. We are all the body of Christ, every denomination or non denomination that is not a cult and not preaching heresy. But the truth is follow Jesus. And get to fellow shipping with and forgiving the church and putting your Bible into practice. Let God sanctify you and purify you personally.

I like my church, I have a part in it am working with it. We are following Christ and I get fed there. Not perfect though. The Bible says don’t forsake the meeting of the saints. A Bible study is probably good enough. That’s how churches get started. But see what I mean…if we all pick and choose what we want to do and we are lacking something then what is God going to do. Let you prove you love another way?

He is not coming before the second coming, but He will snatch some away to heaven. In the twinkling of an eye. If we are to be comforted by these words we have to think we are going. It’s a real thing the rapture in the Bible which has many more comforting sayings in it.

But whose going? I have tried to raise the bar a little bit. I have tried to define what we think average to special. God is God and we are not. Who wants to go? Get on it.

[Alabama358]

well studied in scipture? so that means he has HIS opinion and like anyone else its just an opinion. Ill go back to that if God wrote it he wouldnt leave room for some bible study group to decide what he meant. He would know doubt tell us exactly what he meant. He would have also told his son to prepare us for its coming. God is perfect. He makes no mistakes or would have any problem writing a book in a way ALL men would know exactly what he meant.

your bible study just proves my point as does the fact theres over a 100 different Christian faiths that think there right and you and i are wrong. Is Jesus not one with God. why didnt he know?? As the son of God isnt he to perfect and wouldnt he want us all to know the truth? or does he reserve that for you or your buddy or a couple old ladies at bible study. but you reveling in someone being embarrassed at bible study is just wrong in so many ways

I would NEVER claim that i have the hole book figured out and my opinion is the right one. That right there would be a mortal sin. Your personal attacks roll of me like water. It is the best example i can give today of why God didnt right it. he certainly didnt intend for you to sin based on his word. Jesus sure wouldnt want anyone to get as you say "but hurt" over his fathers wishes.

your example and attacks prove it doesnt take a real Christian to read the bible and memorizing that book sure doesnt make you a Christian and winning an argument at bible study doesnt make you a better Christian either. Believing in Jesus Christ and Living your life as close to the way Jesus wants us too is how you get to heaven. You sure as hell dont get there by embarrassing someone at bible study.

Seems you think you can tell me im not a good Christian because i havent memorized a book which by the way ive read cover to cover. didnt Jesus say its Gods job to judge. Instead of spending hours in bible study maybe you should spend that time actually being a Christian instead of trying to find hidden messages in it. Id sure like to see you get to heaven. im out of this one now so ill let you have the last sin. this whole thread shows that just like i said its a book and a book thats just as responsible for tearing Christians apart as it is bring them together. ill end it with this. here is good example of someone thinking they had it figured out and why God wouldnt have left it to mortal men
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_Adolf_Hitler he is only one of many that have justified killing using the bible

i dont dislike the bible. its the greatest history book ever written and without it Jesus's life on earth would have forgotten over the years. but thats what it is. A history book that is a copulation of first had accounts from people that lived then. not some idol that is worshipped by some. God is holy not a book. God didnt write it man did. God didnt claim it was holy man did. God didnt even mention it and neither did his son.

Lloyd,
My rebuke was against your post and the content therein.
It was not an attack on you personally... I don't even know you.

When you write such foolish dribble regarding scripture and faith backed up with a link to Wikipedia, you should expect a strong reproof

There is a potential of 100s maybe 1000s of folks reading these post and if some are struggling with life, faith etc. they might just take what you said and join "the bible is a fraud and written by man club" simply because it is the easy way out... and once you start that that road it is a rough trip home, and some never do make it home.

Proverbs 18:21
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

[Lloyd Smale]

never once bad mouthed God Or Jesus Christ. Matter of fact i worship them. what i dont do is worship a book. if you want to pin your chances of salvation memorizing a history book thats your call. people dont need to find salvation and peace in that book they need to find it in God. I did. Like ive said the bible is as responsible for evil over the years as it has been for salvation. weve only had access to it for maybe 700 years and alot of those years only if you were rich or at least literate. funny thing is christains were probably more devote before it was available. in those years after anyone could get a copy how many wars were started and still are over it. i push no one to agree with me. seems some others here do though

[jonp]

How strong is your faith?

[.429&H110]

There, that is a good way to put it, we can agree:
I don't worship a book, either.

Or anybody, anything else of this fallen world.

A Moslem would like to kill you for burning a Quran
but that's just a book, too.
I would guess there are millions of Gideon's Bibles in the dump
freely given and freely tossed. Seeds sown.
I have a dozen leftover tiny Gideon New Testaments in tiny print
(needs a child's eyes or a magnifying glass)
leftover from the recent party, free to a good home.
God's Love Letter to His Children.
His free gift of an Owner's Manual to our bodies.
His free gift because He is merciful and wants us to know Him.
Or it's just bound paper. Our choice.

"What is truth?" said Pilate as he walked away.

[Lloyd Smale]

How strong is your faith?

that is the real question. that is what is DEMANDED by God.

[Good Cheer]

It would seem that even those who would throw away Jesus telling them to learn the parable of the fig tree could appreciate the wisdom of Proverbs.

[Bigslug]

Quote Originally Posted by snowwolfe View Post
I have always thought as God as being vindictive and to some extent, mean. He set the rules a long time ago and it is his way or the highway (so to speak). I fail to see what, if any compassion he has for the humans he put on this earth.



Good morning snowwolfe.
What I've gotten so far from studying is that we get to come here to decide whether to go with our father or go with the rebellion. If somebody gets straightened out then there's a place for him and there's the mercy, the love, the compassion.
We're attending daily classes on what the rebellion is good for.
If somebody wants rebellion, just wants it their way, then there's the road.
So yeah, my understanding of the matter is that it's His way or the highway.

A couple good posts there.

The OP mentions a couple times his questions about mercy/salvation for the mentally ill who a less than able to play God's games. What I would submit is that God MADE the mentally ill who are less than able to play his games, as well as a great deal of other "human-wreckage-from-birth-or-early-childhood".

Yes, you can throw out a lot of "moves in mysterious ways" or "done to test us", which brings us to snowwolfe's notion of a vindictive/malicious entity either pulling strings for his own kinky satisfaction; perhaps an indifferent one who got bored with us and cut us adrift. Mercy, therefore, is not something I'd expect much of. If that entity is indeed out there, it is worthy of Good Cheer's "rebellion"

[Good Cheer]

Quote Originally Posted by snowwolfe View Post
I have always thought as God as being vindictive and to some extent, mean. He set the rules a long time ago and it is his way or the highway (so to speak). I fail to see what, if any compassion he has for the humans he put on this earth.




A couple good posts there.

The OP mentions a couple times his questions about mercy/salvation for the mentally ill who a less than able to play God's games. What I would submit is that God MADE the mentally ill who are less than able to play his games, as well as a great deal of other "human-wreckage-from-birth-or-early-childhood".

Yes, you can throw out a lot of "moves in mysterious ways" or "done to test us", which brings us to snowwolfe's notion of a vindictive/malicious entity either pulling strings for his own kinky satisfaction; perhaps an indifferent one who got bored with us and cut us adrift. Mercy, therefore, is not something I'd expect much of. If that entity is indeed out there, it is worthy of Good Cheer's "rebellion"

Heh, this world is a refinery.
https://i.imgur.com/yn24hev.jpg

[1hole]

Just a couple of thoughts Lloyd:

First, you say Jesus didn't memorise or teach from the Bible he had; that's clearly untrue. I'm sure those errors aren't YOUR'S, you're just quoting misleading men (Popes, Cardinals, monks, etc.) who use religion to control YOU through your church.

Jesus' "Bible" wasn't the KJV or the corrupted/added on Roman Catholic version of it. Jesus' law was on scrolls and most of it was written when the Mosaic Law alone gave man God's instructions. Jesus lived by the Law, he studied the Law as a child. So, even as a child he knew it and later he taught from and quoted that Law. He never - not once - denigrated his Bible, but he hated what he saw of self-seeking religious men looking for personal glorification and power in lavish pagan-ish temples teaching gullible people what to believe. That was true in the Old Testament and it remains true today.

Second, surely you jest when you suggest qullible accept Wikipediah as a source of Bible wisdom. Sure, misled religious men have distorted the Bible out of shape, they did that in New Testament days and they still do but we all nave access to good Bibles so that's no excuse for letting them continue to do so today.

Just as a reminder, your claims about hundreds of non RCC denominations is wrong. Remember that the biggest church separation in history came when the RCC and the Orthodox (churchs) split over who/where was the "real Pope." I don't know which group was worse for the cause of Christ but, so far as I know, the Orthodox church never resorted to torture nor killed thousands of people in an effort to continue their rule by terror if necessary to stop people from having their own Bibles written in their own native tongue.

Your RCC is not for me. I may be mistaken in some of my beliefs but I'd rather be chastised by the Lord for my own errors rather than because I was dumb enough to blindly follow blind religious quacks wearing pretty choir robes and gold jewelry while begging money "for the poor." And I KNOW there are quite a few RCC splinter groups in the U.S.A. today, both named and unnamed, but still flying under the Catholic flag so maybe you should clean your own house before condeming mine?

[Chena]

Assuming a literal interpretation of Scripture, it seems to me that The Book of Job and Revelation provide an answer to the OP’s question.

[1hole]

What I would submit is that God MADE the mentally ill who are less than able to play his games, as well as a great deal of other "human-wreckage-from-birth-or-early-childhood".

God neither plays games nor "tempts" anyone to sin.


Yes, you can throw out a lot of "moves in mysterious ways" or "done to test us",...

God knows our strengths and weaknesses,he needs no tests. He sometimes allows his people to be tried by sin because He wants us to recognise the same. When tested, some of us will learn we are spiritually stronger than we thought, some of us will learn we are weaker.

Check Mat. 26 to read about Peter's test the night of the crucifiction trial; his crushing failure that night led him to become a true pillar of strength because that was the night he learned to lean on God for his strength.

[Alabama358]

Like ive said the bible is as responsible for evil over the years as it has been for salvation.

Isn't Saying the Bible is responsible for evil over the years Exactly the same argument that the Liberals that want to confiscate your guns use.
You know the whole... "Guns kill people" thing
And regular fair thinking people say "Guns don't kill people...people kill people"

Never seen a Bible get up off the table and do evil in the same way I have never seen a pistol jump out of a holster and shoot someone on its own!

[Good Cheer]

God neither plays games nor "tempts" anyone to sin.



God knows our strengths and weaknesses,he needs no tests. He sometimes allows his people to be tried by sin because He wants us to recognise the same. When tested, some of us will learn we are spiritually stronger than we thought, some of us will learn we are weaker.

Check Mat. 26 to read about Peter's test the night of the crucifiction trial; his crushing failure that night led him to become a true pillar of strength because that was the night he learned to lean on God for his strength.

He has a great sense of humor.

[1hole]

well studied in scipture? so that means he has HIS opinion and like anyone else its just an opinion....He makes no mistakes or would have any problem writing a book in a way ALL men would know exactly what he meant.

Lloyd, IF your own (really strange) RCC version of the Bible has no "mistakes or problems" you wouldn't have to ask your priesthood to get proper answers and, since you've read it all at least once, you should have no problem clearly telling us why:

(1) there is no original Bible reference to any low grade hell that you are taught to call purgatory where imperfect dead men may painfully earn the saving part of their own eventual salvation.

(2) why is there is no Bible reference suggesting Christians pray to anyone but God; not Mary or any other saints. (It does specifically say Lord Jesus is our ONLY intermediary to God the Father.)

(3) why is there NO Biblical suggestion that the Christian church - i.e., the Holy Spirit called and spiritually baptized body of believers was to be centered in Rome. Nor was there any structured bureaucratic body of exalted church rulers. Nor did the original church work out of any impressive paganistic temples. Nor was there any original repetitious chantings in Latin. And no "holy water" was sprinkled on spiritually ignorant infants.

(4) the Holy Spirit dictated 66 Bible books. They were recognised and established as the completed canon for the ages, they were established by a church council held in Nicia in 325 AD and confirmed in the late 400 era. BUT, over the next few hundred years some of the books that were first considered and rejected by those councils began to slowly be restored by order of various "infallible" popes and inserted between the Old and New Testaments. If your church's version of scripture were true no such "corrections" and "additions" would have been later required would they?

Lloyd, I have a LOT of other questions about RCC oddities but that's enough to explain why I strongly challenge your suggestion that my Bible is less reliable than yours.

I also disagree with your implied claim that I, as a Christian, have no right to actually study my unmodified Bible rather than just be spoon fed wrong doctrines some RCC priests think I need to know but get taught by sanctioned but clearly mistaken others.