That; I suppose is an advantage of this type of venue; where no one knows who anyone else really is (unless for some divine purpose someone living in our town is discovered who we happen to run into-would be interesting if I was discussing this blog with someone here in Philly and they said yeah I'm the one who is so and so who read your blog last week).
That being said; of course we are all more shallow in this way without personal contact and fellowship at best. The concept of "confessing our sins to one another" is scriptural. The context certainly applies to when we have offended someone and we are to make it right before offering sacrifice (which I would say is equivalent to Communion or any public worship for that matter). It is also good to have those we are accountable to. Obviously men should be discipling men; women with women. That is another matter; as to how women not only in churches but online forums may try to go beyond discussions and start playing the role of Pastor. It is a touchy issue which I won't delve into any more here.
We need not only to be aware of gossip within the church but about our leaders and any non believers as well. Certain things are known as to transgressions in the public arena but unless we hold it up in prayer it is better to keep quiet. It reminds us of the verse about judging others. Most don't look at the other side of it; we WOULD want mercy to triumph over judgment so we should use that approach with others. That concept is seen in Matthew 18:15-35. We should be ready to forgive our brother and be transparent when we can. Obviously some things are private and certainly a trusted person should be our confidante as it were.
Sadly; the lack of exhortation in churches today and having real conversations make the concept of "iron sharpening iron" a rare concept. The wounds of a friend somehow aren't appreciated ( Proverbs 27:6) with today's shallow associations that result from cliques that gossip.
Let us start this commentary on verse 14. We are reminded here of the verse in Deuteronomy 29:29 about the secret things of the Lord that we are NOT to know. There are other verses that state what is seemingly the opposite (namely; Proverbs 25:2) which states that it is the honor of kings for such matters to be revealed. Since we are "kings and priests" in the Lord; therefore we are given some comprehension of such mysteries. ( Rev. 5:10).
Two major themes here relate to the fear of the Lord (in the verses 12-14) and not harboring sins (verses 1-7). Meek individuals (verse 8) remind us of the verse in the Gospels stating that the "meek shall inherit the earth" ( Matthew 5:5). Verse 10 also brings up the concept of those keeping His covenant (not stated which covenant) as well as those who keep "his testimonies." Obviously; the word of our testimony ( Rev. 12:11) is vital which involves confessing with our mouth as well as our heart. Trust is also a theme here of importance (verse 2 as well as verse 20). The last verse talks of Israel as a whole; which in context could refer to David's descendants or the eventual plan at the end of the age where it is restored to the position originally intended.
Finally; patience in waiting on God is noted in verses 5 and 21. There are numerous references in scripture on that subject as a fruit; as one type of crown being given as a reward for those who wait patiently for the coming of the Lord ( James 5:7; etal). When we see such great wickedness around today such as was in the time of Lot and Noah we need to keep in focus the big picture.
Spirit baptism, being born of God's Spirit is what causes a new birth, not water baptism. Now, with that being said, water baptism is something everyone born again believer should seek after salvation.
Can anyone help me with Psalm 34 please ? Verse 2 : My soul shall make her boast in the LORD : the humble shall hear thereof , and be glad . Any ideas / explanation ?
Hello again . I'm reading through Psalms at the moment and have just read Psalm 32 , it's lovely and I thought it might help you . It was written by David who was a man well acquainted with sin and the consequences of it . I hope it is a help to you .
Hello . I believe that life itself is a blessing , therefore everyone who is alive is recieving a blessing from God . How do you define the word blessing ? I see it as a gift from God . Therefore I am full of blessings . God feeds me , God clothes me , God keeps me warm and dry and safe and well and healthy and happy . I am well blessed . God blesses people who are not even aware of His existence . The Holy One of Israel is very generous to all flesh every day and every good thing in your life comes from Him . Remember to thank Him every day and never forget that His judgements are always righteous and merciful .
This text is very good I love this bible I use it all the time,keep up with the good work this is what I expected it tells us that our Lord loves us and if our enemy slaps us don't slap them back just go run away and maybe tell your parents, so I lear bed that if someone does something to you don't get revenge on them cause God is always with you and she loves you and he always will
It amazing; The proof is all there. God created the universe; and rested from his work on the seventh day. What is work but the using of Energy. Yes, He created the universe and energy and space all at the same time probably as scientists say with the Big Bang theory; and of course the universe seems to be still expanding and stars are still exploding; not all of course but some; and thus planets are still being created; maybe even new earths and moons just like ours but so far away; forget about them. We will never really know; but now I do know that God rested by stopping using His energy. I now know what rest is and I hope to do so on the Sabbath; unless there is Good that I must do on that day. There are always blessings in the 10 commandments and what God says to do; and I can see that in resting on the Sabbath, Both the mind, body, brain and soul, the physical and the mental.
I'm not sure what you mean by a ceremony . The best thing that you can do to develope your faith and trust in God is to read your Bible and say your prayers to Him through Christ . If there is something specific that you and a group of people want , you could gather together and say a prayer together perhaps ? I'm not convinced that God requires any ceremonies from us but I'm sure that He is very willing to listen to an open hearted prayer and blesses us when we are trying to draw closer to Him through reading His word . For me , we can't go wrong with reading His Word and praying to Him .
Hello . Please forgive me but I don't usually read very long posts . When I come on here , I usually just look for any questions in the question section , to see if I can help in any way . Unfortunately I don't have a lot of free time to read everything on here , I wish I did but I just don't most days . So I just go to the question section . Thanks for your long answers , if I do get time over the next few days I will try to read them I promise . Thank you again .
On baptism, is baptism a requirement for the new birth, and which baptism is correct, in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost or in the name of jesus or both in jesus name?
That is refreshing in a way. There are obvious guidelines; such as the book of James elaborates on (not praying to gratify the flesh and not being double minded). A large part of communication with the Holy Spirit involves us trusting God for all things whatever the apparent outcome; which in the short term frequently is not seen clearly. We also heed to the scripture in Hebrews about Christ being the High Priest ever interceding for us. In other words; He perfects the communication so that it is a clear presentation to God; which of course would involve His understanding of the perfect will for those good works prepared for us from before the foundation of the world. Normally; I would share the scriptures themselves but I am afraid with all the tabs on my computer I'll wipe out this page should I look them up now.....
As important as it is to be God honoring; as well as us meditating on the scriptures day and night so that we can formulate thoughts and learn to know the ways of God so we are mindful of His will for our lives; it isn't good to be too restrained either; as to content or time frames for organized corporate prayer. A good principle is to look to the needs of others before ourselves; and that is largely through discernment and not being overly obsessed with our own family; friends and lives. It also involves finding those who are walking Godly lives as resources and AVOIDING those who are tampering with false doctrines or have a lifestyle of sin in terms of the same. We don't want someone invoking an evil spirit to our favor.
It is good to be ready in season and out for not only evangelism but being available for prayer. People have different giftings; and it shouldn't be a pride thing; but sadly most have no idea when they are endowed with say; and unusual unction of faith.
And sometimes prayers are answered either right away; or much later suddenly this occurs. We need to ever heed the Spirit in all we say and do.
The term inspiration of God is one Greek word that means God breathed. All scripture is God breathed, and is profitable for these four things:
For doctrine: That's the system of the Christian faith in doctrine.
For reproof: This is a legal term that means to present proof to the court to bring about a conviction. So it means conviction. Present evidence to bring about a conviction.
For correction: It means to bring people and make them line up with the things of God. Correction is to get people back on the right path.
For instruction in righteousness: The word instruction doesn't come from anything about teaching. In fact, it comes from the word discipline. It means to discipline children.
So the word of God, (the scriptures), is profitable for disciplining people in righteousness. This is why Timothy can have confidence.
Continue in the scriptures that you already have been raised on, and in your ministry, continue this confidence by using it for doctrine, for conviction, for correction, and for discipline.
We don't see it used very much in these areas because we don't want to offend anyone. But out of love, God wants us corrected if we're going down the wrong path.
God through His word will bring conviction. And He will teach us the doctrines, especially of Paul, and of Christ.
Hi, I heard a good one today. Let us do more speaking about the Gospel and not about spreading gossip. This is a good word for many of us who spend time "catching up" with our friends and family. I do want to guard my conversations from gossiping and be more conscious of speaking the Gospel message and other important spiritual beliefs when I do speak to those I am most comfortable with. We do need to bear one another's burdens, and this involves sharing what is happening in our lives. But we should not use this Bible tenet as an excuse to talk about other people's business ( 2 Thessalonians 2:11). When we share prayer requests on behalf of those we care about, I believe it is permitted for details to be shared so that we can prayer specifically for those people. God knows all and doesn't need to hear the details, but we do need these details so that we can pray in faith and when we hear how God answered prayers we can know how he specifically answered the needs presented to build our faith up even further.
Hello Ellyn, you can read my response to Jacqui for some ideas that may help you understand Who the Father, Son, and Holy spirit are within the One Godhead. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:29 that Christian baptism is to be done in the name of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was speaking this revelation to His apostles before He ascended back up to heaven to sit at the right hand of God, the Father. These apostles were Jewish and Judaism and Israelites in the O.T. believed in One God, as God states in the "Shema" in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. These apostles would need Jesus' teaching and the that of the Holy Spirit to come to understand and believe that this One God of their Scriptures (O.T.) consists of Three Persons in One Being, with all three possess this One Divine Essence, yet are distinct from One Another. In this verse ( Matthew 28:19) Jesus reveals that this One LORD of the Shema is a reality of Three Persons in One God. So, when the apostles were taught this by Jesus and given understanding and faith to believe it by the Holy Spirit, they understood the Shema more truthfully than they had been taught about it from the rabbis. Hear, O Israel, the LORD (YHWH) our God, the LORD (duet. 6:4-5) YHWH) is one God here in Deuteronomy was teaching the Israelites that there is only one God, not many, like the pagans believed in the world with them. Jesus, in Matthew 20:19 teaches the Apostles and all believers that this ONE God is not many Gods (as the Shema teaches) but then three Persons in One Godhead.
Let us know if you have more questions, Ellyn. This topic comes up often on here. You can look under the Bible Questions tab and click on "Is God a Trinity?" link to read more. You can go to sites like Got Questions, Compelling Truth and Test All Things asking "How is God One Being, yet Three Persons?" for more good information.
God does not have parts in this way. He does will, express emotions, knows all things, but these are not separate things within Him that can be separated out from this one Divine Essence. All of these and all of what we call His attribute are a human way of speaking about Who He is in essence, but in truth He is all of these in this one single, undivided, unified Divine Essence.
But this one Godhead (Divine Essence) cannot be added to nor taken away from, as can a being with parts. He is completely and perfectly unchanging. To add or take away would indicate a change in His Essence, which cannot happen because of His perfection in every way.
The Scriptures, as Adam and Giannis point out, tells us that the Father is God and distinct from the Son and Spirit, that the Son is God and distinct from the Father and the Son, and the Spirit is God and distinct from the Father and the Son. There are multiple instances in Scripture that reveal interactions between these three distinct persons in the Godhead. Jesus prayed to the Father, so He was not the Father, yet God. He promised the Holy Spirit, so he was not the Holy Spirit, yet God. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at Jesus' Baptism while the Father spoke from heaven, so the Holy Spirit is not Jesus nor the Father, yet God. Before creation of anything that exists besides God, the Spirit hovered over the waters of the whole earth. The Son spoke what the Father willed into being. The Father willed all things to be created. Together in unity the Godhead brought ALL that exists, visible and invisible into existence. Each Person executed their own role in creation in agreement and union with One Another as the One Godhead.
Jacqui, This is what I believe. I am glad we have this forum to speak to our own beliefs and to read what others believe. I am glad that people can discuss topics that helps us learn Scripture more truly. We bless each other with our posts. I appreciate your contribution here.
I agree with you that this forum is an open forum for people to express their beliefs. It is also a forum for discussion which Giannis and Adam, myself and you are doing when we reply to a post.
I believe like Giannis and Adam in this way:
In Scripture the word "Godhead" is used 3 times: Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, and Colossians 2:9.
The Greek words, Theoion, Theoites, and Theotis are used for this word. It means ALL that constitutes Who and What God is. So the what denotes His nature or essence (GK. ouisa) and the Who denotes the three distinct persons within the one Godhead where all three possess the same Divine Essence totally (100%) and equally so (no degree of difference between three of how much of this essence they each possess. They all three possess this essence completely, to the fullest sense, and eternally.
Jacqui, this is classic Christian teaching within the Christian church for 2000 years. You can go to site like: Got Questions, Compelling Truth and others to understand what God's essence is and how He can be one God, yet three persons, but not three Gods with divine essence.
I believe what has been classically taught in the church from Scripture that God is purely Spirit. He is not made of matter in His essence. He created all matter. Jesus, in His human nature is made of matter, but before He became man, He was always Spirit like the Father and the Holy Spirit. He still possesses this Godhood (essence) but also still possesses his humanity, too.
To continue, God, not being made of any matter, does not have parts or components like all creatures have. We have physical parts (hands, body) made of matter, and soul parts (mind, emotions) and a spiritual part. Animals also have components to their essential nature. Take away absolutely life sustaining parts and we and animals cease to exist. Angels also, though spirits, have a component nature. They have spiritual bodies but also, minds, and wills, like us. ...continued
I believe what I believe and I believe that I am entitled to do so . I have no problem with people believing things that I don't and I would always encourage everyone and anyone to read the Bible for themselves and come to their own conclusions , don't take my word for anything . I believe this site exists for people to share their beliefs and that's what I did and hope to continue doing . May God bless you and everyone on here as we learn from each other and have our interest stimulated by open and free discussions .
Hello Jacqui, I just noticed a possible misunderstanding. I'm reading Giannis's quote:
"God is one but there are 3 distinct persons which are called The Father, The Son(who became the man Jesus Christ) and The Holly Spirit."
And now I'm reading your quote:
"I believe something slightly different to Gianni's . I do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a separate being from God . This is not a common belief amongst Christians but I can assure you it's not exactly unheard of either . "
He didn't use the word separate and didn't say anything was separate from God, either, but distinct within God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says God is one. There's only one God. And within the one God 1 John 5:7 says there are 3 parts. The 3 are still one. This is what most Christians believe because this is what the Bible says.
All 3 components of one God are already spirits. God the Father is a spirit, God the Son (Jesus) is a spirit, and the Holy Spirit is a spirit.
By your comment, within one God do you only believe in only 2 parts within one God instead of 3 parts within one God like 1 John 5:7 says? God bless.
Hello . I believe something slightly different to Gianni's . I do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a separate being from God . This is not a common belief amongst Christians but I can assure you it's not exactly unheard of either . The Spirit of the Lord or the Spirit of God is a very common phrase in the Old Testament and even pops up in the New . There are very many references that I could give but I will just give a few . If you have a concordance you can look these things up for yourself . Genesis 1 : 2 , Genesis 6 : 3 , Genesis 41 : 38 , Exodus 32 : 3 , Exodus 35 : 31 , Numbers 11 : 29 , Numbers 24 : 2 , Judges 3 : 10 , Judges 6 : 35 , Judges 11 : 29 , Judges 13 : 25 , Judges 14 : 6 , 1st Samuel 16 : 13 , 2nd Samuel 23 : 2 . Matthew 10 : 20 , Matthew 12 : 28 , Luke 4 : 18 , John 15 : 26 . Acts 8 : 39 , Romans 8 : 9 , Romans 8 : 14 , Romans 15 : 19 , 1st Corinthians 3 : 16 , 1st John 4 : 2 . There are a lot more . I hope my reply hasn't confused you , best thing to do is to read everything through for yourself , God wants you to know and understand His Truth and He will help you to do so . Enjoy your voyage of discovery .
That being said; of course we are all more shallow in this way without personal contact and fellowship at best. The concept of "confessing our sins to one another" is scriptural. The context certainly applies to when we have offended someone and we are to make it right before offering sacrifice (which I would say is equivalent to Communion or any public worship for that matter). It is also good to have those we are accountable to. Obviously men should be discipling men; women with women. That is another matter; as to how women not only in churches but online forums may try to go beyond discussions and start playing the role of Pastor. It is a touchy issue which I won't delve into any more here.
We need not only to be aware of gossip within the church but about our leaders and any non believers as well. Certain things are known as to transgressions in the public arena but unless we hold it up in prayer it is better to keep quiet. It reminds us of the verse about judging others. Most don't look at the other side of it; we WOULD want mercy to triumph over judgment so we should use that approach with others. That concept is seen in Matthew 18:15-35. We should be ready to forgive our brother and be transparent when we can. Obviously some things are private and certainly a trusted person should be our confidante as it were.
Sadly; the lack of exhortation in churches today and having real conversations make the concept of "iron sharpening iron" a rare concept. The wounds of a friend somehow aren't appreciated ( Proverbs 27:6) with today's shallow associations that result from cliques that gossip.
Let us start this commentary on verse 14. We are reminded here of the verse in Deuteronomy 29:29 about the secret things of the Lord that we are NOT to know. There are other verses that state what is seemingly the opposite (namely; Proverbs 25:2) which states that it is the honor of kings for such matters to be revealed. Since we are "kings and priests" in the Lord; therefore we are given some comprehension of such mysteries. ( Rev. 5:10).
Two major themes here relate to the fear of the Lord (in the verses 12-14) and not harboring sins (verses 1-7). Meek individuals (verse 8) remind us of the verse in the Gospels stating that the "meek shall inherit the earth" ( Matthew 5:5). Verse 10 also brings up the concept of those keeping His covenant (not stated which covenant) as well as those who keep "his testimonies." Obviously; the word of our testimony ( Rev. 12:11) is vital which involves confessing with our mouth as well as our heart. Trust is also a theme here of importance (verse 2 as well as verse 20). The last verse talks of Israel as a whole; which in context could refer to David's descendants or the eventual plan at the end of the age where it is restored to the position originally intended.
Finally; patience in waiting on God is noted in verses 5 and 21. There are numerous references in scripture on that subject as a fruit; as one type of crown being given as a reward for those who wait patiently for the coming of the Lord ( James 5:7; etal). When we see such great wickedness around today such as was in the time of Lot and Noah we need to keep in focus the big picture.
Spirit baptism, being born of God's Spirit is what causes a new birth, not water baptism. Now, with that being said, water baptism is something everyone born again believer should seek after salvation.
If you put it in years, three score would be 60. A score is 20.
As important as it is to be God honoring; as well as us meditating on the scriptures day and night so that we can formulate thoughts and learn to know the ways of God so we are mindful of His will for our lives; it isn't good to be too restrained either; as to content or time frames for organized corporate prayer. A good principle is to look to the needs of others before ourselves; and that is largely through discernment and not being overly obsessed with our own family; friends and lives. It also involves finding those who are walking Godly lives as resources and AVOIDING those who are tampering with false doctrines or have a lifestyle of sin in terms of the same. We don't want someone invoking an evil spirit to our favor.
It is good to be ready in season and out for not only evangelism but being available for prayer. People have different giftings; and it shouldn't be a pride thing; but sadly most have no idea when they are endowed with say; and unusual unction of faith.
And sometimes prayers are answered either right away; or much later suddenly this occurs. We need to ever heed the Spirit in all we say and do.
Hope that helps.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
The term inspiration of God is one Greek word that means God breathed. All scripture is God breathed, and is profitable for these four things:
For doctrine: That's the system of the Christian faith in doctrine.
For reproof: This is a legal term that means to present proof to the court to bring about a conviction. So it means conviction. Present evidence to bring about a conviction.
For correction: It means to bring people and make them line up with the things of God. Correction is to get people back on the right path.
For instruction in righteousness: The word instruction doesn't come from anything about teaching. In fact, it comes from the word discipline. It means to discipline children.
So the word of God, (the scriptures), is profitable for disciplining people in righteousness. This is why Timothy can have confidence.
Continue in the scriptures that you already have been raised on, and in your ministry, continue this confidence by using it for doctrine, for conviction, for correction, and for discipline.
We don't see it used very much in these areas because we don't want to offend anyone. But out of love, God wants us corrected if we're going down the wrong path.
God through His word will bring conviction. And He will teach us the doctrines, especially of Paul, and of Christ.
Let us know if you have more questions, Ellyn. This topic comes up often on here. You can look under the Bible Questions tab and click on "Is God a Trinity?" link to read more. You can go to sites like Got Questions, Compelling Truth and Test All Things asking "How is God One Being, yet Three Persons?" for more good information.
God does not have parts in this way. He does will, express emotions, knows all things, but these are not separate things within Him that can be separated out from this one Divine Essence. All of these and all of what we call His attribute are a human way of speaking about Who He is in essence, but in truth He is all of these in this one single, undivided, unified Divine Essence.
But this one Godhead (Divine Essence) cannot be added to nor taken away from, as can a being with parts. He is completely and perfectly unchanging. To add or take away would indicate a change in His Essence, which cannot happen because of His perfection in every way.
The Scriptures, as Adam and Giannis point out, tells us that the Father is God and distinct from the Son and Spirit, that the Son is God and distinct from the Father and the Son, and the Spirit is God and distinct from the Father and the Son. There are multiple instances in Scripture that reveal interactions between these three distinct persons in the Godhead. Jesus prayed to the Father, so He was not the Father, yet God. He promised the Holy Spirit, so he was not the Holy Spirit, yet God. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at Jesus' Baptism while the Father spoke from heaven, so the Holy Spirit is not Jesus nor the Father, yet God. Before creation of anything that exists besides God, the Spirit hovered over the waters of the whole earth. The Son spoke what the Father willed into being. The Father willed all things to be created. Together in unity the Godhead brought ALL that exists, visible and invisible into existence. Each Person executed their own role in creation in agreement and union with One Another as the One Godhead.
Jacqui, This is what I believe. I am glad we have this forum to speak to our own beliefs and to read what others believe. I am glad that people can discuss topics that helps us learn Scripture more truly. We bless each other with our posts. I appreciate your contribution here.
I agree with you that this forum is an open forum for people to express their beliefs. It is also a forum for discussion which Giannis and Adam, myself and you are doing when we reply to a post.
I believe like Giannis and Adam in this way:
In Scripture the word "Godhead" is used 3 times: Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, and Colossians 2:9.
The Greek words, Theoion, Theoites, and Theotis are used for this word. It means ALL that constitutes Who and What God is. So the what denotes His nature or essence (GK. ouisa) and the Who denotes the three distinct persons within the one Godhead where all three possess the same Divine Essence totally (100%) and equally so (no degree of difference between three of how much of this essence they each possess. They all three possess this essence completely, to the fullest sense, and eternally.
Jacqui, this is classic Christian teaching within the Christian church for 2000 years. You can go to site like: Got Questions, Compelling Truth and others to understand what God's essence is and how He can be one God, yet three persons, but not three Gods with divine essence.
I believe what has been classically taught in the church from Scripture that God is purely Spirit. He is not made of matter in His essence. He created all matter. Jesus, in His human nature is made of matter, but before He became man, He was always Spirit like the Father and the Holy Spirit. He still possesses this Godhood (essence) but also still possesses his humanity, too.
To continue, God, not being made of any matter, does not have parts or components like all creatures have. We have physical parts (hands, body) made of matter, and soul parts (mind, emotions) and a spiritual part. Animals also have components to their essential nature. Take away absolutely life sustaining parts and we and animals cease to exist. Angels also, though spirits, have a component nature. They have spiritual bodies but also, minds, and wills, like us. ...continued
23In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
"God is one but there are 3 distinct persons which are called The Father, The Son(who became the man Jesus Christ) and The Holly Spirit."
And now I'm reading your quote:
"I believe something slightly different to Gianni's . I do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a separate being from God . This is not a common belief amongst Christians but I can assure you it's not exactly unheard of either . "
He didn't use the word separate and didn't say anything was separate from God, either, but distinct within God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says God is one. There's only one God. And within the one God 1 John 5:7 says there are 3 parts. The 3 are still one. This is what most Christians believe because this is what the Bible says.
All 3 components of one God are already spirits. God the Father is a spirit, God the Son (Jesus) is a spirit, and the Holy Spirit is a spirit.
By your comment, within one God do you only believe in only 2 parts within one God instead of 3 parts within one God like 1 John 5:7 says? God bless.