Newborn babies are not "men".... probably go straight to heaven if they die.
Regarding Lazarus: I coulnd't make out your point. Are you wondering why he died again after being resurrected? If so, it is because he was a sinner.
Sea Breeze
JoinedPosts by Sea Breeze
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WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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75
WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
@ Duran,
But here comes the ridiculous unfair part.
It was decided (by God) that Adam and Eve's children and every person born thereafter would automatically be born sinful/not perfectAparently Adam was truly King of the planet, with authority and dominion over all that was in it, including all of its potential.
When he fell, he took it all with him. God vested all of it in him - Adam.
"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit" - Romans 8: 20
subjected to suffering and death, while claiming that they still will have freewill.
It appears that both sin and free-will somehow both inhabit fallen man. Hence why our species is so unstable.
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WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
I could have the freedom to love, to choose to follow/deny God, and so on, while still having full mastery over sin. This, I think, is the ideal. With one exception, I would be free to live and love without risking eternal damnation.
The problem with trying to find an adequet correlation, is the magnitude of God. Some people don't like the fact that he owns everything. And, I mean that in the highest possible meaning of the word "everything". So, when we choose to reject God, who is good... we are at the same time rejecting everything that is, good. There is no other relationship that can come anywhere near the correlation of this.
Some people may feel that this gives God an unfair advantage in the relationship. So what? Are we supposed to ask God to be something other than what he is in order for us to feel better about ourselves? Then we would have the unfair advantage.
God is not asking us to be something other than what we are. I didn't ask to have a sin nature. It has caused a lot of problems in my life. He took care of that problem on Calvary. And, as far as all the screw ups that I have been subjected to by others, and the ones I am guilty of myself, God makes this incredible promise:Romans 8: 28 - "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified".
The bottom line is that a member of our own species, Jesus - God incarnate, willingly took it upon himself to broker a deal, as a Mediator, that is basically acceptable to both parties. God doesn't have to be something other than what he is, and we don't have to be something other than what we are.
He asks us to believe him, trust him, and love him. I can't always obey God. But, I can always believe him. And, it is because the New Covenant is such a sweet deal to all parties involved that I can for the most part enjoy the work that someone else has done in the past at Calvary, and the work that is continuing through Sanctification and the work of the Holy Spirit.
God is changing me while at the same time working with my free-will because I gave him permission to do so. It is hardly noticible most of the time. I did the math 20 years ago and decided that trust in other people was a recipie for diaster. Trust in myself was only marginally better. So, he's sort of the last to try. After 20 years, I can report that the plan works. I was a 4th gen JW.
I like the fact that we have gotten to know each other without the pressure of the punishment of sin hanging over me. I like the fact that God has worked with my intellect and desires to craft a redemption plan , just for me - so that I can prove to myself what is that "good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God". - Romans 8: 28
I have found the Lord to be very accomodating, and only hash on extreme occasion. It is acceptable.
Sorry to ramble on a bit.
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75
WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
You seem to be saying that the concept of free will is just a description of our ability to make any decision.
Since the Fall, I don't think we really have the extent of Free-Will God created man with.
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. - Romans7:23
In other words, a moral virus, separating us from God entered into the family of Adam and holds us captive.
if my only options are to have free will with all of its attendant consequences, or be an unwilling automaton in a universe where no one ever suffered, how is the former the better option?
Again, love is a potential artifact of Free-Will. Automotons cannot love since they lack agency, volition and free-will.
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75
WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
So by jesus/god putting conditions that you have to be born again and love him in a certain way is not love based upon trust and respect but on conditions that you have to follow.
How about all those "narcissists" that won't agree to an open marriage? Are they demanding that their spouses love them in a certain way?
if you disagree....you will suffer the consequences
So what? Same with a marriage. That is why it is good to know the rules before you enter into the marriage contract.
Since Calvary, it looks like God only has one rule that would separate us from him - believing God. Since he made everything, the consequences of not believing God is for him to reluctantly grant the wish to be free of him and everything he made.
Since people will be concious forever somewhere, it seems like an really bad idea not to believe God and experience an eternity of conscoiusness in nothingness, alone, abandoned, with only yourself to accomany you.
That seems pretty dumb.
God has set the bar so low - belief; that it seems like he is basically saying you can enjoy all of him and his creation if you just don't call him a liar, tyrant, etc. In other words, just don't act like a jackass towards him and he'll take care of your future.I personally find that offer rather acceptable.
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Trump wins
by gavindlt ini am non political and have never voted but nonetheless i have been keenly watching to see how the trump presidential race unfolds.
i believe that his involvement in propelling or influencing a leaning toward bible prophecy will unfold.
how, i can’t say but something tells me that this anomaly and outlier being trump is highly signifiant!
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Sea Breeze
Most people don’t understand that even if illegals don’t vote, their mere presence has already tilted our electoral system by the fact that the U.S. Census Bureau’s count adds to a state’s representation in Congress.
Because of the way reapportionment and redistricting work, illegal immigration redistributes political power in Washington.
We have been getting totally ripped off.
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WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
I don't think we would be compelled to love if we could not sin.
That's the point, love cannot be compelled, at all. Your arguement seems to be that if we were born without free will, you would be OK with that. That would certainly stop sin. Easy, peasy.
But, my point is how can a person receive love from someone else without it being offered out of their own free-will? It would be meaningless, common, of no special value..... and received as such. -
66
Trump wins
by gavindlt ini am non political and have never voted but nonetheless i have been keenly watching to see how the trump presidential race unfolds.
i believe that his involvement in propelling or influencing a leaning toward bible prophecy will unfold.
how, i can’t say but something tells me that this anomaly and outlier being trump is highly signifiant!
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Sea Breeze
How was this even a close race?
Economy in the tank
Inflation out of control
Grocery prices through the roof
Interest rates up
Housing down
Miliions of illegals allowed to pour in to the US
Is it a coincidence that most of the states Kamala won don't have voter ID laws? Imagine the victory if all the states required valid ID to vote.
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75
WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
TonusOH,
I speculate that it is a consequence of the nature of love, which must be given voluntarily.
How much is love worth if it is simply an artifact of programming?
My computer “loves” me, but it is not the same as a warm smile from my wife.
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WATCHTOWER JAN 2025: WHY IS THE WATCHTOWER OBSESSED WITH THE RANSOM?
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/ocufvpm3t04?si=75zmussxknhlsrs7.
the first watchtower for 2025 is out, and immediately, articles 4 and 5 drew my attention.
these will be studied near the memorial season, a time the witnesses prepare for their yearly commemoration of jesus’ death, i will be returning on this articles near at the time.
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Sea Breeze
If people are capable of committing sin, everyone suffers during their lives. They disappoint God and let him down frequently.
Not if they believe God. When a person accepts God's offer to make him / her a family member, God gives then a new spirit which cannot sin.
This is the "YOU" that God interacts with after regeneration. God is not disappointed in my new spirit he installed at salvation. This is the ultimate meaning of circumcision. The old spirit is sliced off, like a foreskin, and a new spirit is installed. This is called the circumcision of the heart.
Col. 2 - "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authoritiesb and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."
1 John 3: 9 - Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV
And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Romans 2:28-29 ESV
For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit...