dear Terry...
you said: "The "perfection" of His creation can only be measured by utility."
when the student is ready to learn...the teacher will teach. (usually "fuzzy" cliches bug me but, this seems appropriate...this morning)
love michelle
what the hell is the point......?.
1.undeserved kindness.
ask yourself why you don't deserve kindness.
dear Terry...
you said: "The "perfection" of His creation can only be measured by utility."
when the student is ready to learn...the teacher will teach. (usually "fuzzy" cliches bug me but, this seems appropriate...this morning)
love michelle
this sentence is invisible but has meaning when it is not invisible.
in the above box we have a sentence that contains "meaning".
but, it only has meaning because you are curious enough to find it.. without curiousity and a drive to discover we can't even see the things which have no meaning that have meaning.. .
curiosity helps fill in the blanks...
and finds you spelling two words wrong in as many days...(not judging)
before i address the paradox (a statement that contradicts itself) i want to insert a fact from history.. .
the romans used a malleable (and highly poisonous) metal (lead) for water pipes and conduits.
as snows melted into pure water, it was channeled into sluices and pipes made of lead that ran through the cities as drinking water.. .
dear Terry...
you said: "God could "manifest" a book, surely. Why use human emanuensis?"
God speaks to humans through human language which is THE WAY the majority of us communicate our thoughts.
example: So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord . exodus 19:7-8
love michelle
p.s. "Can anybody give just one example of a NON-interpreted "Truth?""...can you give me the answer to the math question I'm thinking of? let me simplify it for you. its an addition question. there are 7 numbers involved.
before i address the paradox (a statement that contradicts itself) i want to insert a fact from history.. .
the romans used a malleable (and highly poisonous) metal (lead) for water pipes and conduits.
as snows melted into pure water, it was channeled into sluices and pipes made of lead that ran through the cities as drinking water.. .
dear Cold Steel...
you said:" Not only did they believe that all men have spirits, but that man existed prior to coming to Earth. (See Jeremiah 1:5)"
God knows the end from the beginning. He knows each of us...whether we will respond to His call on our life or not. He knows our destiny because He has seen it. He can provide opportunities for those who are called to minister effectively knowing that they will take ever opportunity to preach the word...those would be the very elect. Called to be sent from the very beginning because God knew them. The same "thing" for jeremiah as for all the other prophets that God had foreknowledge of...the apostles...all the way into our "time".
No human existed before we entered this earthly realm. Not even the flesh body of Jesus.(He always existed in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the Son of God) When (most) humans die they enter the "paradise" spoken of in luke (the rich man and lazarus) this is not the eternity where God resides.(the highest heaven) This is where the just and the unjust are resurrected from. (Some humans are translated into eternity, we have Jesus and elijah as known examples of this and the beloved apostle paul was also hoping for this "better resurrection", the resurrection of Christ he called it)
Because God resides outside of our time in eternity, it can be said that the end of our time has already been seen and "experienced" in that eternity by God and by those who have entered into it and it may be God's will that some be sent "back" into our "time" at God's will...elijah would again be an example of this, having made his appearance known twice already as himself, as JtB and scripture says he will come once more ...
anyway...we are told in the scriptures that the flesh comes first and then we are born of the Spirit through salvation which is in Jesus Christ alone.
love michelle
this is a real puzzler.. .
for christendom at large there is no problem in thinking of humans as a body (tent) which houses the soul.. .
for jehovah's witnesses the human is the tent.
dear Terry...
you said:
"Example:
A Baptist dies and his soul goes back to Jehovah.
A Jehovah's Witness ANOINTED dies and what happens? How does what happens to the anointed differ in any way from that of your garden variety Baptist?"...
I think the JW anointed are considered part of the "composite Christ"...therefore they each have a share in the Spirit which raised Jesus...they *teach that no one else on the planet has a share in this Spirit except their anointed. I think that's why they teach that only the anointed go straight to heaven.
I also think that is why the GB insist that you have to be in union with the org. in order to be saved. They are part of the "composite saviour"
ok...maybe they don't outright *teach that, but I think it was taught at one time and it hasn't been repudiated.
love michelle
peace to you!
i wanted to get some thoughts out there on this subject, because there are so many people who look to the bible as the image of god.
to the point that they do not look to christ at all, but rather they look to the law or to moses or to the ot as the image of god... over... christ.
dear Tammy...
you said this: "As well... what the sheep did to feed the poor, the hungry, the needy, the suffering, the imprisoned... they did to Him. These are also invited into the kingdom. These are those Christ knows, regardless of whether they specifically know Him."...
that scripture in matthew is refering to the church. Jesus comes to the church like a thief in the night. He comes to the rest of the world so that every eye will see Him. Also in the scripture in matthew He comes with His holy angels...when He comes to the world He comes with all the saints. If you will notice, in the scripture in matthew, both groups call Him Lord...but He still seperates them into the sheep on one side and the goats on the other.
"by grace you have been saved by FAITH" ...the age of grace for is over...now those mentioned in matthew are only saved by prior works.
"For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God: and if it begins with us first, what shall be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, 'If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?'" 1 peter 4:17-18
love michelle
peace to you!
i wanted to get some thoughts out there on this subject, because there are so many people who look to the bible as the image of god.
to the point that they do not look to christ at all, but rather they look to the law or to moses or to the ot as the image of god... over... christ.
dear Tammy...
you said: "Weeping indicates love and sadness... not anger and a call for vengeance. (that is religion; that is man)
Love and sadness is a parent or loved one weeping over children or friends who choose a path that puts them in harm."...
first of all I didn't say that the tears of Jesus are a call for anger and vengeance...it is a response to the grief He felt because their "house" was desolation NOT life...He was sent to gather their "house" to protect them from the desolation...but they didn't choose that. THAT is the gospel message...choose life not certain desolation!!!...Jesus said that those who don't believe in Him are condemned already (john 3:18)...just like jerusalem. *it should be noted that in a practical sense...those who DID believe in Jesus ALSO escaped the desolation of jerusalem.
but you suggest there is no harm in rejecting Jesus because once He is revealed from heaven there shouldn't be any resistence, all but the very evil will THEN believe in Him and be saved...but that isn't what the bible says...that is what you say.
...anyone who isn't in Christ will not be pleased to see Him...because the bible says that they await certain judgement.
Remember what the demons said?..."And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”...2 peter 2:3 speaks of the judgement coming upon false teachers among the people...2 peter 2:9...WHAT does reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgement mean to you?...WHO is going to make this judgement?
love michelle
peace to you!
i wanted to get some thoughts out there on this subject, because there are so many people who look to the bible as the image of god.
to the point that they do not look to christ at all, but rather they look to the law or to moses or to the ot as the image of god... over... christ.
because He knew their fate, Tammy...
love michelle
peace to you!
i wanted to get some thoughts out there on this subject, because there are so many people who look to the bible as the image of god.
to the point that they do not look to christ at all, but rather they look to the law or to moses or to the ot as the image of god... over... christ.
dear Tammy...
you said: "But He doesn't change. So is it that he changed, or is it that the people had not understood Him?"...
we are made in God's image...we have all the attitudes of God...we can be angry and loving, we can desire justice and righteousness etc....just like God. Jesus displayed all the attitudes of God, you choose to only see half of the attitudes of God.
That is why your lord has no message except the one you choose...where is God's justice? Where is the anger at those who reject His Son, the greatest gift He could give? Where is the, "vengence is Mine", saith the LORD?
if you were to read ALL of what the bible says about Jesus and His message and mission, you would see that God hasn't changed...except in your "understanding".
mark 8:38
love michelle
just wondering what exactly the gospel is, and how i should understand it to be.
if someone were to come up to me and ask "what is the gospel?
thanks so much, this means a lot.
dear trebor...
this: "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" can truly be appreciated when you understand the magnitude of the gift that Jesus gave of Himself.
the scripture that comes to my mind is: isaiah 53:10-11
...God the Father poured out His wrath against the sins of ALL mankind on the Son...not a one of us could bear the wrath of God for just our own sin so Jesus took the punishment for each individual who will apprehend God's gift. He was bruised for our iniquities.
love michelle