Hassan Nurullah said:
You ever read Isaiah chapter 40? Jill@
Which verse are you pointing to, Hassan? Isaiah 40 28:31 is one of my favorite passages. I know it talks about idolatry, etc. But do you know which one talks about people who may have been deceived, thinking they are praying to God when they're really not?
Stephen Leach said:
@Jill- interesting quotes you posted...what led you to do that? @Hassan- Of course I've read Isaiah 40...I'm very familiar with His word. What specifically about Is 40 are you referring to?
Several posts ago (guesing) in this thread, I think there was a brief discussion on dreams, visions, etc., the dispute being whether or not God gives these visions to people. Scroll back a ways. Curious, I looked it up, having remembered the one from Numbers.
Jimmy Z said:
Jill, feel free to contemplate the blatherings of Pastor Stephen. He is filled with lies about God, Jesus and the church.
Well, you sound like you're getting ready to bust out the marshmallows while you burn him at the stake. I asked a pastor friend of mine to look at this thread and he was horrified by how you're attacking people.
Stephen Leach said:
@Jill..ahh...I just re-read Isaiah 40 in the past couple of minutes...what an amazing book that is absolutely filled with prophecy. It demonstrates for us Israel of today is not the fulfillment of prophecy, it points out that we are as grass without the Lord, it shows us the Holy Spirit is our guide, teacher and counsellor, the 'nations' amount to nothing, the work of mans hands are nothing but in reference to the tree that will not rot, He's referring to the Tree of Life, it explains that the earth is round where mankind even 500 yrs ago believed it to be flat, that whatever man tries to achieve on his own without Gods direction, will be blown away in a moment, which includes everything we see in our modern lives, including our beliefs, insitutions and understanding, in the final passages, He speaks directly and prophertically of the Bride when He says, 'But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles (Refers to the woman in Revelation being lifted upon the wings of eagles), They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Awesome truth isn't it? :)
Agreed - that last part is one of the first passages I really focused on when I came back to the church. It is very inspiring.
David Smith said:
I'm sorry I misunderstood the purpose of the discussion. I'll not interrupt again.
I recant my declaration because of my conviction that my lack of onvolvement is part of the reason evil has florished in our nation. If I back away now because I doubt my input will affect any reader, I will have continued the same pattern of do nothing.
I am called by the Good Shepherd whose voice is the voice of truth. As long as I heed His voice I will not be lead astray by the doctrines and legalism of men (though they may also be drawn by my shepherd's voice). I must avoid the temptation to turn to another to tell them they do not belong in His flock no matter how strong my reason to do so. The Good Shepherd determines who is called. I trust Him and His guidance for myself and must extend that same trust in His ability to guide others.
I can speak with confidence of my experience, but have no authority in the experiences of any other. The same God-given rights I claim I must also extend to all His creation.
I see in scripture the main reason people have rejected Jesus is prejudice. Or to put it in other words, Jesus's failure was to appear in a form and method they did not approve. (I must qualify that statement with another. I do not for an instance believe Jesus failed in any way.)
I post to give witness: the legalism I see posted here is a barrier and a deterrent to the unity I believe we need to succeed.
Stephen Leach said:
You're a moron Jimmy.
I'm singling out Stephen, but I see a couple of you doing it. I believe that Stephen is a follower of Christ, just as I believe that Jimmy is a follower of Christ. Christ specifically stated that the world would know we were HIS FOLLOWERS by the love that we shared for one another. Not for calling each other "morons."
I implore all of you to stop calling each other names. You have differences in theology, and you have different ways of expressing your beliefs. None of us is perfect in how we believe, but one thing is positive, none of us believe by our own strength or merit! We are all products of His love and choosing.
We are all believers of the same Christ, and we should show the world that love as we continue to grow in His knowledge and love. None of us has perfect knowledge.
In the Name of Christ,
Mark
David Smith said:"I am reminded of the story of Jesus's encounter with Pharisee. In one gospel the Pharisee is described as laying a trap for Jesus (Matthew 22:36), yet in another the question comes from a genuine seeker(Mark 12:28). Look at how remarkable the teacher's answer is to the question similar to our discussion here: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Or perhaps if we reworded it "what is the most important thing I should do?" The teacher quotes (Deuteronomy 6:5):"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might." His answer is clear and clean of all doctrine and simple enough for even me to understand. To paraphrase "Your relationship with the Creator is the most important thing" But he doesn't stop there, he directs our attention to our fellow humans, say the second commandment is very similar (Leviticus 19:18): "You shall not take revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Then he goes on to say that those two commanments contain the foundation of holy scripture: "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I am willing to accept Isaiah as a summary of the entire Bible, will you accept Jesus's summary?
Matthew 22: 40 These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.
To do so will require discernment, so I ask you to heed not my voice but listen for the voice of truth.
Mark Pepin said:
I'm singling out Stephen, but I see a couple of you doing it. I believe that Stephen is a follower of Christ, just as I believe that Jimmy is a follower of Christ. Christ specifically stated that the world would know we were HIS FOLLOWERS by the love that we shared for one another. Not for calling each other "morons."
I implore all of you to stop calling each other names. You have differences in theology, and you have different ways of expressing your beliefs. None of us is perfect in how we believe, but one thing is positive, none of us believe by our own strength or merit! We are all products of His love and choosing.
We are all believers of the same Christ, and we should show the world that love as we continue to grow in His knowledge and love. None of us has perfect knowledge.
In the Name of Christ,
Mark
I concur Mark. God bless you for saying this!
Stephen Leach said:
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit would require me rejecting the free gift of eternal life and salvation, of which I would never do.
That's a misinterpretation. The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is very specific. Jesus was answering His critics who accused Him of using the power of Beelzebub to perform His miracles. Jesus then stated that there were many, many sins that would be forgiven among men, but that the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was not one of them. In this context, it is clear that the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was attributing evil to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Rejecting Christ is not an unforgivable sin, because a man can reject Him today, but then accept Him tomorrow, and come into eternal life. Yet Jesus specifically stated that the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was NEVER able to be forgiven. Therefore, rejecting Christ could not be the same sin.
See Matthew 12 for complete context. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+12&version=KJV
