Posts by Chalam

we had one were a guy screwed his dog.. a guy got his step daughter pregnant and ran off with her, his wife committed sue-aside , in our country you can't marry your step children if you are the course of the brake up however apparently its not against scriptural law so the congregation gave them a marriage.. we had 4 sisters pregnant in the congro (all married) this bro of questionable mental health confessed to the elders to being father of them all.. .

Chalam

Matthew 7 (New International Version)

A Tree and Its Fruit

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

66

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues?

by Maddie in

jw
friends

with the increase in evangelical churches there seems to be a lot more emphasis on the practise of "speaking in tongues".

i quite like the way these churches conduct services, with live music and great singing.

it is so different to the kh meetings and like fresh air.

Chalam

Hi hmike,
Thanks for your post. Please see below.

"I know the scriptures you have quoted. I have no problem with the baptism of the Spirit."

Cool!

"I do see a problem with anyone's insistence that this is necessary to indicate salvation."

Who's is that? Certainly it was not Paul's, see the passage.

"There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?"
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." "

So the two people were disciples, i.e. followers of the faith and they had believed in 'the gospel'. However, there is more and they had no understanding of the Holy Spirit. This was the situation I grew up in too. Everyone had read the Bible concerning Spirit baptism, speaking in tongues, healing and gifts of the Spirit but no-one had experience of them and thus assumed they had finished.

"It's recorded to have happened in the book of Acts, but it's not stated that's what always happened then or how it has to happen."

Baptism of the spirit first happened then and is still happening, see here.

Acts 2:38-40 (New International Version)

38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

"I brought all this up so Maddie (and anyone else wondering) would realize that there is no "standard" interpretation here. There's going to be different positions depending on which church or fellowship one goes. Remember, it's not like JWs where you are told what to believe about everything and there's only their way. It can be quite a challenge to sort through all the differences and make a decision on your own. It's the price of freedom."

Very good point. Better to ask God about these things first I say. So can I ask if 'you believe', just as Paul did back then?

Regards,
Stephen

47

And When I Die...

by Farkel in

"there'll be one more child in this world to carry on...to carry on.

" - blood sweat and tears.

amazing.

Chalam

Hi,
It is all explained here...

[url]http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=15&version=31&context=chapter[/url]

Regards,
Stephen

39

~Hope for Satan & everyone?~

by FlyingHighNow in

edited to change thread title: .

is god's love so wonderful that he will save everyone?

even satan and his dark angels?

Chalam

Hi,
This is my own belief. There is NO hope for Satan. Jesus has prophesied Satan's doom and this is literal.

Revelation 20 (New International Version)

Satan's Doom

7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

As for the living there is hope for ALL (even Satanists, Atheists, JWs etc!).

2 Peter 3

8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Regards,
Stephen

57

Are Seventh-Day Adventists a better Church to belong to than being a JW

by jwfacts in

a lot of exjws need an answer to "where else to go?

" and some people seem to need to belong to an organization.

doing some research on answers.yahoo.com i noticed that both jws and mormons come in for a lot of criticism for being manipulative cults.

Chalam

Hi,
The problem with all these false religions is that it turns into a set of rule following. This is clearly against Paul's teachings.

Maybe The Message will help.

Galatians 5 (The Message)

The Life of Freedom

1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
2-3I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. 4-6I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

13-15It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

16-18My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

19-21It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.

22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

23-24Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

For more of The Message see here

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=51&chapter=2&version=65

Regards,
Stephen

23

Are scriptures missing from the Bible?

by tika in

i have heard that the bible as we know it today is not in it's entirety.

i feel that this is deceptive and had people argue that the present day bible is how god intended us to read it because that is all we need/ it is presented how he wants us to have it.

i don't buy that and feel that god wouldn't "hide" any of the holy scriptures as men have done.

Chalam

Hi jwfacts,
Just wondering if you listened to both of the audio files which relate directly to this subject?

If so, what questions do you still have?

Regards,
Stephen

66

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues?

by Maddie in

jw
friends

with the increase in evangelical churches there seems to be a lot more emphasis on the practise of "speaking in tongues".

i quite like the way these churches conduct services, with live music and great singing.

it is so different to the kh meetings and like fresh air.

Chalam

Hi hmike,
"I agree with you. Those that believe tongues are a sign of salvation are in the minority. They probably derive this belief from the examples in the book of Acts."

Well the Bible shows that speaking in tongues is a sign that someone has be Baptised In The Spirit.

Acts 19 (New International Version)

Paul in Ephesus

1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?"
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.

4Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5On hearing this, they were baptized into[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[c] and prophesied.

So it is quite clear, people need to believe (be saved) and they they are ready to be Baptised in the Spirit and receive the gifts of the Spirit.

Just to make it clear, true speaking in tongues is not something you can work up yourself, is not babel but a heavenly prayer language and is a gift from God for those who believe.

Regards,
Stephen

66

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues?

by Maddie in

jw
friends

with the increase in evangelical churches there seems to be a lot more emphasis on the practise of "speaking in tongues".

i quite like the way these churches conduct services, with live music and great singing.

it is so different to the kh meetings and like fresh air.

Chalam

Hi hmike,
Just to clarify, the bible says speaking in tongues is a gift but it not necessary for salvation. Please see these verses for tongues and salvation.

1 Corinthians 12 (New International Version)

Spiritual Gifts

1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 4
It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.[a]'[b] 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Regards,
Stephen