Bible Discussion Replies PAGE 2497

God has change my life so much and I am thankful for that

It's that simple. Get ready. Prepare your heart. These things were written to Christ's followers, not those who dont' even read the New Testament. It will be too late for them when everything hits the fan to start reading about preparing. Too late then. Jesus knew what was coming on those 7 churches in Asia Minor and gave them warning, encouragement, exhortation and rebuke. The modern lukewarm church in America is not going to get raptured when it needs purified much more than any other century. It is very important to keep our hearts right and have Jesus as our first love.

Good grief, I've been following this conversation from the very beginning, but it seems to be heading south!

I'm assuming you are taking the entire chapter? Verses 5-13 talk about giving. In V.5, the emphasis is the word friend.

To understand V.6, in the Middle Eastern custom, it was very hospitable to have bread and food waiting for visitors no matter when they came. That would be the Middle Eastern custom thing to do. And he says, he came at midnight and he journeyed. And he came and I have nothing to put in front of him.

V.7: The person inside says four things: Number 1: stop troubling me: He sounds like my house if somebody knocked on my door at midnight wanting bread. Secondly: the door is now shut, that means that it is barred closed. And my children are with me in bed;

You may have heard of the family bed. It is a Middle Eastern custom. They would close the door, and how they would keep warm is they would all get into one bed. As a matter of fact, on evenings when it is was real cold, they would bring the livestock in, not in bed, but in the same room, just to get them indoors.

Fourthly: he says I cannot rise and give to you. We are all in bed, we are all warm, lights out, door closed, and you are knocking on my door and you are saying you want bread. It won't happen!

Verse 8: Jesus said, I say unto you, though he will not rise and give to him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, and that is a big word! In the Greek, it means shameless persistence. There's no shame in this man. He's going to keep pounding on the door until you get up and give him what he wants. "You only want 3, I'll give you 7. Just go home, leave me alone."

Carry that thought over because people say that's what you need to do with God. You need to be persistent, nag Him. Make Him give you what you are praying for!

But if I may suggest to you that the Lord is not teaching about comparison. He's teaching about contrast. If you as human beings, if somebody is knocking on your door, you will get up and give it to them just to get rid of them. But God is not that way!

Adam, I think that the verses you have cited reflect that while God acts freely, His purpose, His promises and His Plan do not change. He destroyed the world, but kept Noah. God is in control of everything, and as Romans 9 says, Who can say to Him, why did you make me this way?

While Jonah 3:10 and 1 Samuel 15:29 might seem contradictory, they are not. For a better understanding of these verses, we have to take them in context. The things said in the Bible are presented in human terms, so we can understand them better.

But I agree, on the surface, they may seem problematic.

Hello, most Christians disagree with this. God made Adam and Eve perfect + gave them freewill. The creation was perfect, but they chose to sin under their own freewill. The sin reflects on Adam and Eve's own decisions, not God's. God didn't create robots. If he did would robots meet the definition of 'perfect' to you? If your own kids were robots would you consider that perfect too? Others find deeper meaning if they have freewill and CHOSE to say 'I love you dad' under their own decision, rather than being forced to say it artificially. Earth is a place to choose good or evil, to choose if you want to follow God or not. Freewill is a very loving gift to have and that gift is perfect. What we choose to do ourselves is what is imperfect and isn't right to blame that on God. Take care.

Well Jesse, let me tell you things God can use to change your mind. Or maybe He will change mine. I share your understanding of what Matthew says, but not that it is directed to Jews. Christ was speaking to His Disciples, therefore to all of us that follow Him. It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was written 1st and both Matthew and Luke used it as a basis for theirs, to include specific details. Matt 24 is the same as Lk 21 and Mark 13. But Paul, who spoke to the Gentile Churches, says exactly the same thing in 2 These 2. And the imagery in the OT, 1 These 4 and Revelation is the same concerning the Coming and the Rapture. You can't have the same events taking place for the Rapture, that are the same for the Coming, unless they are one and the same.

A mistake made is to think of the entire Tribulation period as the Day of the Lord or Day of Wrath. If you read Revelation carefully, the language identifies these at taking place at the last hour of the Great Tribulation. And if you outline the events, you find there is a progression of the Seals, Trumpets and Bowls of His Wrath that place the Bowls at the end of the end of the end. The Seals are opened and at the last Seal, Trumpets are introduced. Then at the last trumpet, the Bowls of Wrath are poured. So, Wrath doesn't embrace the entire 7 years period.

It is that last Bowl of Wrath, at the last Trumpet, in the last Seal, that we will be spared from. That's when we are called to meet Christ in the air. And as Bob Hilt pointed out, there are only 2 resurrections. Think about that.

Amen. come lord jesus. maranatha.

Chris, you say, "Adam & Eve were not created in corruption, rather they were created perfect, had a free will but chose wrongly." I partially agree. But I add, they were created in an existence susceptible to the potential of corruption. I disagree that they were created perfect and made a wrong choice.

They were not created perfect because, from my perspective, something perfect, free will or not, would not make the wrong choices. Something capable of making wrong choices is not perfect. You can't make an unsinkable boat that sinks. It is a logical contradiction. For man to have been created perfect, he had to have been created with a perfect will. A car with an engine that can break immediately after you turn it on, is not a perfect car. In the case of Adam and Eve, they lacked the ability to distinguish between good and evil. That inability is what got them into trouble.

Perfection is defined as the absence of fault or defect, with total accuracy and maturity. Adam didn't meet that standard. God did declare them good, but it was in terms of God's Purpose. They were perfectly suited for Christ.

The world they were created into was flawed. The Garden was not perfect. Why? Because it had a very bad, corrupt Tree right smack in the middle of it. Is a garden full of weeds a perfect garden? Would you like to live in a house by a stream that stinks of perdition? Not a perfect setting for a house, is it? So why did God put Adam in this beautiful Garden, then dropped a bomb on him? Wait a minute, you might complain. I just moved into this brand new house and you are going to build a mountain of trash, a dump, right next to my back yard? What is wrong with that picture? So God plants this Tree in my yard, then tells me to stay away from it? What's up with that? Sorry God, you might say, but couldn't you take that stinky Sycamore and bury it in the coldest depths of the Martian landscape? Why here?

Oops! Sorry Adam. I didn't realize you were so sensitive.

Type this title PRE-TRIB RAPTURE: TRUE OR FALSE? in the youtube search. I should be the only one with this name. highlight, copy and paste it into the youtube browser so you had all the spacing right.

I'm just getting the channel started and learning the software so bear with me. It would be great if you subscribe and also take the two minute survey and maybe pass it on to others to take. I'm trying to do a survey on end times that has never been done. You can put your answers in the comments section or email them. I'm not going to say I know it all as none of us do. But I have put 5 to 7 years into really studying the history of the view I held to for over 30 years to find some serious problems. I hope to help others see these same truths.

Hope to have you on board.

(Read it real real slow)

It was PROPHESY. It all happened as the Godhead Wrote it. Through Jesus's suffering He set the new Covenant in motion until the mystery be completed: until the fullness of the Gentiles.

Romans 11:11 ...have they stumbled that

they should fall? God forbid: but rather

through their fall...salvation is come

unto the Gentiles (WHY?) for to provoke

them (the JEWS) to jealousy.

For if the casting away from them be THE

RECONCILING of the WORLD...what shall be

the the RECEIVING of them be...but life

from the dead?

Verse 26: AND SO ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED

Verse 27: For this is MY COVENANT unto them (Israel) , WHEN I shall take away their sins.

Verse 28: As concerning the gospel (birth, life, death, resurrection of Jesus) They are enemies (now) FOR YOUR SAKES (us).

BUT as touching the election, they are BELOVED for the fathers sakes (plural) Deuteronomy 9:5.

They're OUT now, and we are IN. God did that all by Himself. Didn't need any of us to debate the soundness of His Decision. Why indeed should any of us Gentiles shed a tear for millions of Jews who were murdered?

Well, they were on the OUTS so it's ok?

Romans 11:8. According as it is written, God hath given them a spirit of slumber;

Eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear....unto THIS DAY.

Everyone is going to give an account for every idle word that has come out of the mouth.

Once more I will try: God is dealing with Israel. He doesn't need our help. We should be grateful, because us Gentiles are being blessed huge because God has Israel off in a corner wondering why so many Gentiles are in love with Jesus, and follow him around like a flock of sheep. That was a positive statement. They are jealous. They are OUT. We are IN.

Soon, God is going to bring them in again.

Robert Marino, How do we find you in YouTube?

Thanks, Chris. I will try to do the best I can in keeping strong faith in God and what he is working on doing. And as well as his plans. But sometimes I feel that it just isn't fair sometimes. My great-grandma when she was alive swore up and down that my family was cursed. And I am okay telling anyone that sometimes I feel that she was right. She died in 2012 then a year and one day later my mother died. And then three years and 27 days later my great-grandpa passed away. And then add on top of that what my family is dealing with the family members of mine. It is hard sometimes but I love God, I still remember the day I got saved and baptized, something that I will never forget. But Thank You so much for all of your help I appreciate it.

As well as anyone else that commented or gave me advice thank you so much and I appreciate all of you that went out of your day to help me.

DaLanie

More clarification on the verse for study

Robert Marino, That is exactly right. You shed much needed light on this matter. Many will be waiting for a coming that won't happen. And people will mock us and say, where is your God. Didn't you say He was coming. Isn't that a familiar sound in Scripture?

The message from Christ is not just for a little bit of worthless information, if we won't be here. It is a serious warning to Prepare. Be ready Spiritually, socially and politically. ISIS was no joke to those living in Iraq and Syria. And Christians died brutal deaths under their control. Were they prepared? Did they know ISIS would be such brutal animals? We have an opportunity to prepare for much worse. Will we heed the warning?

Your analogy of the Oil is spot on. We see it now. We see how persecution of Christians and Jews is increasing worldwide. That includes in the US and European Union. A Muslim is now given rights governors and mayors are taking away from Christians and Jews. A Christian stands to preach in a public square and is arrested. Jews gather for a funeral and are hosed down and arrested.

Good thing its that in those last days God will pour out His Spirit on Believers, for strength and authority. Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the Lord Jesus.

I will look for your site on YouTube. Thank you.

Page 2.

And who is the Tree of Life? None other than Christ.

Yes, there is an element of symbolism, allegory and metaphor in Genesis 1-3. And the 2 Trees were representative of something other than trees. Likewise, the 24 hour a day creation is also misunderstood. Days are Phases, Stages of creation, not literal 24 hours. If all God did was say, let there be light, and poof, everything came into being, what did He do with the rest of the 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds? The element of literal hyperbole is indisputable. But most Christians are afraid to admit it. Read Heb 3-4 for a better understanding of the duration of the 7th Day.

With respect to the 7th Day, Heb 3-4 says God designated a time called 'Today' during which we have the opportunity to enter into God's Rest. And what is God's Rest? On the 7th Day God rested from His creative activity. Now it stands to reason, that if we are able to enter God's rest, He has not resumed His creative activity. But once Christ returns, that will be the end of God's rest. At that time, God will destroy the earth with fire, 1 Peter, and He will create a new heaven and a new earth.

So, if we are still in the 'Today' of the 7th Day, is the 7th Day a 24 hour period? Clearly not if God had resumed work on the 8th Day, since His rest would have been over. But God has designated this 'Today' a long today, so that He can Save as many as are written in the Book of Life. He is not willing that any should perish and for Christ to enter the world to accomplish that Purpose.

But if the 7th Day can be 6,000 years long, is it inconceivable that Day 1 could be 1, 2, 3 Billion years old. And the others? How long did it take for animals to procreate and trees to grow and streams to flow and the dry land to appear? How long between Adam and Eve? How long did they walk in the Garden with God? Symbolism in the Genesis account, doesn't mean Genesis is untrustworthy. It means God told the story using allegory and metaphor.

Hi Carlos,

Just so you know you have to click the Reply button to actually reply to someone and notify them, otherwise they may not see your post.

You mentioned: "The fact is that there is an element of allegory and metaphor in the Genesis creation account."

What are your examples?

I've noticed other comments from you and agree with many of your points and thought they were well thought out, but the one below I don't believe.

>Christians are afraid to admit that because they think it diminishes the account and credibility of the Bible as a whole."

Why assume if someone takes the Bible literally then they must be 'afraid'? Is this really true for all Christians? Have you prayed to God about this and did you hear any confirmation from him? It would seem like dangerous ground to pluck parts the Bible and claim they're untrue. What if the opposite was true that maybe you're the one uncomfortable with Genesis being literal so you claim that it isn't then try to discredit other Christians for believing it?

For me: (1) I'm a Christian, and (2) I believe the Genesis creation is literal and not a metaphor, and (3) I'm not afraid, but feel confident and have total trust in God's Word.

An ABC poll showed 61% most Christians believe Genesis creation is literal.

So, how can your statement be true? Should statements like this be posted publicly to other Christians to try to create distrust in the Bible? Does this come from God?

Hello Irene..yes Acts 2:38 is the New

Testament salvation thru faith & obeying the gospel. How are you doing sis Irene?

That was me in above name Mark B. I just realized that misspelled letter) Be strong in Christ.

Hi Carlos, I agree. God allows himself to change his mind, like Genesis 18:32, Jonah 3:10, Amos 7:3. It's a little confusing to reconcile this with 1 Samuel 15:29.

Page 1. Chris, don't take things to the extreme. First, how many days (24 hours) did it take God to create the universe and man? How long did God rest? How long was the 7th Day? How long did it take for the trees to grow in the Garden? See Gen 2:1-9. What did God do on the day after the 7th Day?

The fact is that there is an element of allegory and metaphor in the Genesis creation account. Christians are afraid to admit that because they think it diminishes the account and credibility of the Bible as a whole. But a realistic approach to Genesis 1-3 does no such thing. From Gen 2, for example, we see that it took time for vegetation to grow and cover the Garden. Adam could not have identified and named every animal in the world Gen 2:19-20. That is a stretch. Six days doesn't begin to explain the 13 Billion years old universe we live in. Careful examination of Genesis shows that God does things in an orderly and deliberate manner, in time. If God didn't work that way, why is it taking so long for God to rescue us from sin? Why not just say, 'let there be no sin' and poof, sin disappears?

Now, I covered the matter of the 2 Trees in the Garden before. When God expelled Adam from the Garden He set pillars of fire to guard the Tree of Life. Is that to be taken literally? And what happened? Did the fire run out? Where are those pillars? Clearly the imagery is metaphorical. From Revelation 22 and we know what the 2 Trees represented. They were not 2 physical Trees. The fruit was not a physical fruit. And eating the fruit was a metaphor for taking part in something they should not have been doing. Psalm 1:3. Read all of Ezek 31 to see a full picture of the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Who is that Tree? It is non other than the devil.

And who is the Tree of Life? None other than Christ

Yes, there is an element of symbolism, allegory and metaphor in Genesis 1-3. And the 2 Trees were representative of something other than trees. Continued in page 2.

The Bride gets a gift at engagement. Other than that I have not run across it.

Tommy,

First look at Verse 21, the phrase "suffer me first to go bury my father." As soon as a person says "me first" in the same sentence that he says Lord, there's a problem. It's never "Lord, me first." Jesus said you come now. That's true discipleship!

He says, I have to go bury my father. Either his father had just died and he had to go bury him, or his father was sick and hadn't died yet. In the Orient today, they still use this exact phrase for a person who's working with his father at his business. He can't get away until the father dies, and everybody divides up the inheritance. After that, they are free to do whatever they want to do.

He's saying I'm committed to this business, and if I walk away now, I am going to lose my inheritance. So allow me first to go take care of business, and then I will follow you.

Jesus made what seems to be a very harsh and cruel statement. He says "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." What Jesus is saying is "Let the spiritually dead people bury the dead relatives."

Satan doesn't play fair. He knows our weaknesses. When we make a commitment to Jesus Christ, Satan will use the closest people to us to draw us away from Christ. The first two chapters of Job tell us that Satan scouts God's people. He knows what our weaknesses and strong points are. He tempts us according to our weaknesses. When we're faced with commitments, we make them, but the Lord challenges our commitments. He looks right through the commitment and He challenges it. Jesus says, are you sure you want to go with me wherever I go? "Let me first go bury.." No! It is now, you come now!

It seems cruel and harsh, but the Lord is applying a spiritual principle here. He is basically saying that Satan has got you all wrapped up and you have to make a decision between your earthly responsibilities and to follow Christ. And Satan uses earthly things to draw us away from our commitment to Jesus to be His disciple?

Oil in the Bible usually represents the Holy Spirit or the anointing of the Holy Spirit.. ... You know, a lamp that runs out of oil can no longer give light, and is useless in that condition.

The center column in the Bible references to 2 Timothy 3:5 (or 2 Tim: 1-7) which begins with "This know also, in the last days perilous times shall come"

Verse 5:Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.

In Jewish weddings the Bridegroom goes to the Brides home and picks her up to go to the Wedding. She's supposed to be ready to go THEN. Not be wrangling with foolish virgins who failed to go to Walmart before it closed.

We are to be wise virgins. Have our lamps full, all the wedding gear, and awaiting for a knock on the door. Listening intently.

Why would we make ourselves miss the knock, chasing around with scatterbrained virgins?

******************

Mishael was on my birth certificate by mistake ? when I was born. It was corrected to something else that means the same thing: WHO!!! is like God.

I. Love. This. Scripture cousin has always been true in my life does one where Davis said a psalms I think 56 For this I know when I cry out to God my in in me shall turn back in the gate and that has always works for my life when I break down and cry out to God he has heard my cry and he has show me the answer wait upon the Lord and you will see he will answer here

Francisca,

A eunuch is somebody who is unable to produce children. That is just a general definition without getting into it. Matthew 19:12 says, But there are some eunuchs, first of all: which were so born from their mother's womb. They were born with a physical defect and are not able to produce children.

And there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: That is, people take them and they castrate them, which is what they did for the guards that had to guard the harems for the various royalty and kings. They were castrated so that they would not have a desire for a woman.

And there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. That's personal. It's a calling, and it is self-discipline!

In first Corinthians Chapter 7, Paul answered the question, and this is the area of marriage and divorce, and remarriage for the Gentiles. But Paul says it is best if everybody is just a like I am.

Paul says that he is single, and it is best if you stay like I am. And if you have the grace to do it, stay single. That is 1 Corinthians 7:8.

But, he says in 1 Corinthians 7:9 that if you cannot contain yourself, and you are burning with passion, then it is better to get married.

Those are the three kinds of people, people born with the physical defect, people who have been castrated, or a personal calling that God is giving you the grace to be single. And if God hasn't given you the grace to be single, and you are burning with passion, Paul says it is best to get married.

we have to love each others with all your heart , all your soul and all your mind

love your neighbor as yourself

you need to have charity in your life in order to move on

show love bc what God wants and it is the greatest

Chris, I find Scripture doesn't support the notion that God knows ahead of time what is going to happen, let's it happen then reacts to it. But you have misunderstood my description of events.

From my limited perspective and to simplify,

1. God determined to create, Gen 1:26

2. In His Omniscient understanding of Himself, He knew that all things He created, to include Angels, would be eventually afflicted with Cancer (corruption, moral and corporal - an indisputable fact given corruption has affected creation)

3. He developed a Plan of creation, which of necessity included Christ (Bible says all things were created for Christ - which can only mean for His incarnation, death, resurrection, through which He would accomplish His Purpose for Creation)

4. He created Angels, who eventually became corrupt (Jesus said, one of you is a devil and identified him. He knew Lucifer would be the one)

5. God created Lucifer, who is the one who corrupted (God did not cause His corruption)

6. He created mankind and a group of people He called Jews so Christ could be born through them

7. He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden and decreed the first Law, Do Not Eat (It was Appointed for men to die once, Heb 9:26-28)

8. Because God loves us and His creation, He implemented His Plan of Redemption through Christ, to Save as many as Believe, Titus 1:2

8. Christ came to rid creation of corruption and establish eternal perfection (a fact expressed through the Bible, summarized in Dan 9:24)

9. The rest is history, Rom 8-10



The Genesis account of Creation is clear. God created with a Plan. The Universe was created in stages in a well-organized, purposeful manner. God created with a Goal. That Goal, we are told in Rom 8:28-30, is Christ.

The fact remains, the Bible is clear on the sequence of and the reason for which everything is as it is. Do we understand it? No. Do we like it? No. But Christ is the All in everything, 1 Cor 15:28, Col 3:11.

Neil on Deuteronomy 30

Re " thou and thy seed"

Hi Neil,

Not so,

God is the only one that has the power to create, we are but dust, ( Psalms 103:14-15). It's true, in Genesis 1, God spoke, and divided the firmaments, then He created man in His own image, to have fellowship with him ( 1 Corinthians 1:9), not to be petty gods.

According to Biblegateway

The two types of predominate seeds are for food/plants and natural/human/generational, though God still speak through His people today, it's Him who speaks through us, because we have no power or capability in ourselves.

This train doesn't carry backsliders! Must sill check oneself and repent and ask for forgiveness on bended knees.

When did god restore the wearing of jewelry to his

people isreal?