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Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."Quote:
Originally Posted by Yppej
Matthew is quoting Jesus. Hebrews is by an unknown author.[/QUOTE]
Very true, but I find I get the most out of the bible when I read the whole book.
Matthew 6:6
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. King James Version
And don't forget if people are unreceptive to your message to shake the dust off your shoes and leave.
Matthew 24:36:
Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν οὐδὲ ὁ υἱός, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατὴρ μόνος.
True. That's why I prefer to believe the the Kingdom of God is within me, right here. Right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
Time is only one dimension in our limited experience, so I'm not focusing on future prophesies. I prefer to focus on the revelations of this moment.
I can completely embrace this. But I can also turn this inside out and say that the Kingdom Of God is not only within me and now but extends infinitely outside me into the unlimited universe beyond our earthly home. As an example, the unmanned space probe Voyager 1 has been traveling through our solar system for the past 37 years and is currently poised to pierce the edges of it into interstellar space. Everyday the probe travels 1.5 million more kilometers away from us and could I transport myself onto the probe at any point in the future it would never be far enough away to remove me from a relationship with the creator of the universe within which it travels.Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine
Given this, I can’t get excited about the beast, who or what he may be, when something might happen ....etc. In fact, while anyone else is welcome to define their religion in terms of a limited set of written words issued during the tiniest period of time given the age of the universe.....I’ll try not to put God in a box.
I'm not an atheist, but don't think of God as an entity, but as a life force or form of energy that embodies what we label as goodness or love within the constraints of human language and understanding. Beyond that, my comprehension of God is akin to my understanding of non-linear time or negative energy. It's pretty vague and defies description in our physical way of seeing our world and the way our brain conceives reality.
The biblical allegory of the fall from the garden describes the veil that was placed between us and the divine and that separated us from the animal realm. There is a natural attraction to return to the state of divine or perfection that is confused by our human frailties and free will.
My take in five sentences anyway.
"Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Luke 9:58
Okay, does it not seem odd to you that your God is so vain that he wants more than anything to be worshiped? Like he prefers people who commit nothing but bad deeds, even evil deeds, to people who don't worship him even though those folks do good deeds?Quote:
Originally Posted by michae1
That is downright twisted.
And if that is the case, who populates heaven? A mix of evil doers and good doers who believed? Sounds a lot like the USA. Why would I grovel to end up in a place a lot like where I am now -- ego maniacal leader and all?
Here is a fun bible quote:
"You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way." -- Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT
UL, I think the common belief of most modern Christian is that many of the Old Testament laws were fulfilled or replaced by the coming of the Messiah. You could do your own search of topic and get a better explanation of this than I could give here.
I am aware of that common belief. But does that excuse the actions of God during that time period? That is my question to Christians who hold that common belief.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogar
The Old Testament is used, when needed, by "Christian" hypocrites as a blunt instrument. They always seem to overlook the awkward parts about dire punishment for wearing clothes of mixed fibers or touching pigskin. Leviticus is a laugh riot.
As an agnostic, I have occasional thoughts about the existence of God and the vastness of the multiverse, but never a thought about joining an organized religion.
I was raised Lutheran and we had to go to classes once a week for 3 years before we could get confirmed. The minister said at one point the Bible was written to help uneducated people with answers to their questions and also how to behave (10 commandments). My mom was not happy about that.
A few generations of my ancestors were Evangelical Lutheran pastors; I have an inordinate amount of religious branches on my family tree. I think they were happy to spend their time sitting and reading--even if it was mostly biblical stuff. Just my guess.
I probably don't rate very high of the common Christian scale, but I'll tell you what I think. The Bible and especially the old testament has contradictions, errors, and things about people that lived a few thousand years ago that we have trouble understanding now. If you discount the whole thing because of that, you might also be missing some wisdom and maybe some degree of spirituality. It has some historic interest and some lessons and rule about to live a good life that are loving rather than cruel. There are allegories that seem silly if taken at face value, but also some interesting lessons. Some people have found their true God and religion through that, too. The Bible is a decent book that has gotten twisted around with various organized religions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultralight
Is it divine?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogar
Does being divine mean the acceptance of a supreme being? Then not for an atheist and since my concept of God is not anthropomorphic maybe not for me. I think it might be divinely inspired with a looser definition of divination, but still the work of man's fallible hand. Is love and forgiveness divine? I think it is something we just have to answer for ourselves. Possibly a person with more faith might add to my take.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultralight
The founding fathers were deitists and believed God wound up the world like a clock and let it go.
I read "the founding fathers were dentists" and wondered why they didn't do a better job with Washington's teeth...
Notice how the OP is missing in action. I noticed Jane that I spelled it wrong. Maybe just having some fun with us :~)
Well, he probably did not expect us to have some fun with him right back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
The thing is, I am happy to discuss religion and such with him, and on this forum.
But I also wonder if he is here to talk about simple living at all.
Yeah, I think the OP with his wall o' text was here looking for a flock of lost sheep. Perhaps he's moved on to more promising pastures.
Yes, I thought it might be the start of a more interesting discussion.
I'm still here. I've just been watching the conversation. It is very intelligent. I have been busy these past couple of days with work, not much time for posting.
I've laid out my interpretation in the first two posts, not too much more to add. Mostly, I just like to see the comments I get. This is a good forum, I like it. It is lively and I see folks here have a respect for each other, which is nice...
Christian films often portray that all those who have not received the mark of the beast will be killed, this is a symbolic truth. The circumstances are true, but they missed the real meaning due to some failed interpretations. All those who have not taken the mark are killed, this part is true, but those who have not taken the mark are Hamas. The mark was given during the elections for the president of the Palestinian authority, which was boycotted by Hamas. Hamas has never received the mark. Films like to portray all people as subject to the mark. This part is wrong. It only affects those Palestinians who did not take the mark, and not the whole world. It is only Hamas. This makes the mark as what the letter indicates. It was the indelible ink brand given to those who voted in the Palestinian elections.Quote:
Originally Posted by michae1
Holy Necro Thread, Batman!
Ὦ τῆς ἀμαθίας σκύβαλα!
The following is an exchange of ideas on a popular forum. I thought that it was quite indicative of the state of the Christian mind today.
BH said:
"In no reality does Hamas represent those who have not taken the brand. They are murderers, liars, they kill babies, rape women and call it divine, they manipulate the media to make themselves look better than they are, and those who live in darkness believe in media manipulation. I am sorry to tell you this, but your mind is in darkness, and the light of the Lord Jesus is far from your perception.
My answer follows.
Christians are deceived by their own interpretations. They believe in them so firmly that when the true meaning is presented, it is completely rejected. The Lord said that He would do a work in our day, which, even if it were told, would not be believed. Your problem goes back a long way. It begins with one failed interpretation after another. What I find so astonishing about this topic is that no matter how many times I am right, Christians will always deny what I have presented. In your world, you are waiting for some kind of mark that will be implemented worldwide. I have discussed this in the letter. The first thing you need to know is who is being talked about. If you say "all people", then you will already be starting from a false premise. Then, you'll need to imagine a series of circumstances to match your conclusions. The most revealing of your interpretations is that you say nothing. You do not provide any details, and it is always coming soon. What bothers me the most is that you hide the real answers. It is a total shame that a person spends his whole life learning his beliefs, and when the time comes to apply the meanings, has no idea. The Lord said to watch. You have failed in this undertaking. You did something though, you interpreted. Now you are waiting for your ideas to come true, which will never happen.
This paragraph is not part of the original response.
It is easy to discern from B.H.'s commentary a certain set of beliefs. What he believes is that Hamas could not be the one that did not accept the mark because they are terrorists. Meaning that the mark will be implemented on a different group. A group that does not commit terrorist acts. Who is this group? If you've been following these teachers for years, the answer is clear. All those who have not accepted the mark are Christians. Christians will not accept the mark because they do not want to worship the beast, even under the penalty of not being able to buy or sell. This is the set of beliefs that B. H. holds as truth while he disputes me, that I should accept as true, which he does not even realize has been corrupted. False teachings that have been accepted by the majority have turned the true meaning of Revelation 13 into a polar opposite. Why would anyone consider what I have to say when such false teachings are so widely believed? I just wanted to emphasize this point because it's a blinder over the eyes of anyone interested in Bible prophecy. michae1