Bible Discussion Thread

 
  • Dgjot on Acts 2 - 2 years ago
    17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

    ...and your old men shall dream dreams....

    What exactly does that mean?? Every morning as I am waking up I have the most frightening "dreams". I think it's my own fears playing out but maybe God is trying to warn me about something.

    Try not to laugh when I tell you how my dream went: I dreamt I took my car someplace to have it fixed. Before they would fix it I had to sign an agreement. I didn't read it first, but I signed it and found out afterwards that I had denied Jesus in writing.

    When I was fully awake, I was frightened and panicky.

    The question is, if someone was deceived into signing a paper like this-

    do you think God would forgive them? Or, because of my stupidity at not reading it first, it is lawful/acceptable? Remember when Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of food??



    Many, many times I have trusted a business and signed an agreement without reading through it. Up to now, nothing bad has ever happened from signing one of these agreements unread, but it reminds me of the politicians who want to pass bills unread. (Like Obama Care, where Nancy Pelosi said: "We have to sign the bill before we can find out what's in it.")

    You CANNOT trust anyone anymore.
  • Dgjot - In Reply - 2 years ago
    (continued pt 2) Still, God/Jesus forgave Peter and he continued to preach the Gospel.

    Also, define what "love" is. Is love feelings or actions? 'cause I can hate someone but still do what's right. If I see someone that is hungry, even though I have no love for that person I can still give them a sandwich or some money or something.

    Peter was chastised by Paul: (for saying that the Gentiles should be circumcised)

    Galatians 2: (Paul speaking)

    11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

    12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

    13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

    14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

    Peter messed up but God still used him. Peter was to preach the Gospel to the Jews and Paul was to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. In other words, "the example of our walk" means nothing. If one rejects salvation because I'm not Christ-like enough, that's just an excuse. Everyone must seek God/Jesus while they may be found. People are wicked but God is all light and there is no darkness in him or Jesus. God/Jesus are the way, the truth and the life.

    And as for the Word of God, (the Bible) it's been available for years. You can buy them at DollarTree for a buck. No one is forbidding anyone to read the Bible. (Not yet anyway.) If they want to kick God/Jesus to the curb, that's on their head- not mine.

    But, thank you for responding. I will consider your explanations.
  • Ronald L Whittemore - In Reply - 2 years ago
    Dgjot,

    I have been to many different denominations including Pentecostal and I have seen and experienced some of the same. Some use the gifts falsely aimed at people's senses by signs and wonders. I am amazed you were in that congregation for seven years. I know, you go to a church and attendance is the main focus, or the teaching is more about the world, feeling good, our emotions, sermons just to tickle the ears and fill the money plate, and more.

    2 Corinthians 11: 13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

    But there are true teachers out there, as preaching the gospel, sometimes an act of kindness can be as good as preaching a sermon, it may be the first time someone was kind to them. I feel both feelings and actions contain love, our actions towards our fellow man will reflect the love of God in us.



    If you honestly hate a person, you would not give them a sandwich. Love as a born-again believer in Jesus we must try to relate everything to Jesus Christ and his life, death, and resurrection, and through faith, the Spirit of Christ, living in us enables us by the love God in us flows to others. Things that are done through us, we may never see the results, and not let actions of man damper our spirit.

    After Pentecost, all the apostles were in Jerusalem and all the Church were of the house of Israel, and until Stephen was stoned and they plugged their ears ( Acts 7:53-58). But in the early Church, there were debates after Paul with the gospel of grace to the gentiles. ( Acts 15) there are scriptures on this debate on circumcision or not. We as flesh all mess up, but "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"

    God bless,

    RLW
  • Ronald L Whittemore - In Reply on Acts 2 - 2 years ago
    Dgjot,

    At Pentecost people were thinking the people that was baptized in the Holy Spirit were drunk, and Peter told them they were not drunk that was fulfillment of what was written by Joel. ( Joel 2:28) Sometimes the words "last days" we think of the end times but the time of the apostles were considered the last days, we see it throughout the New Testament.

    That would be a scary dream to have I have had some scary dreams myself. God does communicate to us through the Holy Spirit in many ways including dreams. In Matthew 24 when Jesus told the disciples about the temple would be destroyed and the disciples asked Him about it the first thing Jesus said was, "take heed that no man deceive you".

    There were some posts right before yours about opinions and teachings that may not be scriptural and if we accept it as truth without prayer and study, we can be led down the wrong road, just like signing an agreement without reading it. Your words appear you will read now, before you sign any more documents. Maybe it is a future document that you may really need to read, who knows.

    Just pray asking God in the name of Jesus that He will give you the reason of your dreams, and if you are His, you can be confident without doubt, 1John.1:1 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    God bless,

    RLW
  • Dgjot - In Reply on Acts 2 - 2 years ago
    Thank You, Ronald L Whittemore.

    It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one having scary dreams.

    You said, "Sometimes the words "last days" we think of the end times but the time of the apostles were considered the last days, we see it throughout the New Testament."

    I know that now. We've been in the "last days" since that Pentecost where the Holy Spirit came down to earth.

    All the miracles that Jesus did were a one-time historical event. The miracles were Jesus's credentials that He is the Son Of God. Jesus gave His disciples this same power to do miracles in His name, as proof that Jesus is the Son of God- the awaited Messiah.

    The miracles done on Pentecost (the mighty rushing wind, the "speaking in tongues", the cloves of fire) were also a one time historical event. The Age of Miracles stopped when the last of the original Apostles died. We now have "the comforter" a.k.a. The Holy Spirit.

    Questions:

    1. Does that mean that Satan no longer walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour???

    2. If he's still here, do we still have the power to cast out Satan in Jesus's name?

    3. Does that mean that the "Tongues" that some people speak in today are nothing more than Satanic babblings?

    4. Why, with the invention of the written word (the Bible), radio, television and the Internet are we still required to preach the gospel? (Everyone has heard about Jesus at one time or another.) Is their blood still on our hands if we don't tell them??

    I have more questions, but I'm tired right now and can't think straight. :)
  • Ronald L Whittemore - In Reply on Acts 2 - 2 years ago
    Dgjot,

    We do have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit but miracles still happen today and the gifts of the Spirit are still given. In the world, today deception is so widespread as in ( 2 Peter 2:1-3) it has created such a farce it is hard to see the truth. The truth of these gifts and the sons and daughters who have the gifts are not of this world, money, gratitude, and fame. It is like giving, "let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth".

    May some on this site give you their understanding on this that may answer your question better than me but I will give you mine.

    Satan is still walking this earth and there are demons on this earth. ( 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). I can personally testify they are real and without Jesus, we cannot survive their attack.

    We do not have the power, only with the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit through us. We must be solid in our faith and baptized in the Holy Spirit or we will find ourselves as in ( Acts 19:13-16).

    Tongues are languages as we see in ( Acts 2:5-12), the disciples were speaking to them in their language and they could tell them the gospel of Jesus Christ even though they did not speak their language. The gift of tongues is still today, sadly many use it falsely and it is babel used on people's emotions and for self-gain.

    We as disciples of Jesus are to plant the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to water by the example of our walk, and love for Jesus and them and with the word of God. We cannot win souls, we cannot add to the Church, God does the choosing but through the Holy Spirit, He guides our steps to those He may choose.

    Regardless if someone has heard the name of Jesus, the words we have been given through the Holy Spirit may be what they have never heard. ( 1 Corinthians 3:6-8) "For many are called, but few are chosen".

    My understandings, may others have more for you.

    God bless,

    RLW
  • Dgjot - In Reply on Acts 2 - 2 years ago
    You: "We as disciples of Jesus are to plant the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to water by the example of our walk, and love for Jesus and them and with the word of God. We cannot win souls, we cannot add to the Church, God does the choosing but through the Holy Spirit, He guides our steps to those He may choose."

    I got saved because I was seeking God. I prayed to God and told Him that I wanted to know HIS truth, not some person's. In the same day, the Jehovah's Witnesses showed up at the door. They gave me their Watch Tower magazine. Even as an unsaved person, God guided me. I tossed the Watch Tower mag. in the trash. Later God introduced me to the lady that would lead me to the Lord. She explained what "Jesus Saves" meant. Unfortunately, she was one of those Charismatic Christians and a Jesus freak. I went to the Pentecostal Church for 7 years, learning nothing about Christ Crucified and Risen the whole time I was there. The Pastor rarely cracked open a Bible and they were all more concerned about the chanting ("speaking in tongues" and all at the same time). It was creepy, AND unbiblical.

    I left that church and went to many others, and they were all phony. I finally stopped going to church altogether.

    I've learned more reading the Bible on my own and watching selected video's on You Tube, than all the years of going to those false churches. In a nutshell, if one is sincerely looking for God, God will reveal himself to them. It doesn't do you any good to preach the Gospel to people who aren't interested in hearing it. That's a classic case of seeds being sown on stony ground.

    You:"...and to water by the example of our walk, and love for Jesus and them and with the word of God."

    That doesn't work either. People had seen Peter with Jesus and questioned him about his relationship with Jesus. Peter denied Jesus 3x before Jesus was crucified. By his bad example, how many people turned away from salvation????

    (continued)



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