I was thinking about how people portray God.

Some portray God as good, just completely good and loving and utterly compassionate; so he does not rule over others, he does not overrule their freedoms, he warns of what will come of a bad choice but he does not cause the bad choice nor cause the bad outcome.

Some portray God as absolutely sovereign, Just completely and utterly sovereign over everything; so he rules over all, overrules freedoms by his power and according to his will, he warns of bad outcomes that arise from bad choices and he causes the guilty to suffer the bad outcomes that their bad choices deserve.

If you have read The Lord of The Rings then you will recognise the two types of god described. One is like Eru, the other like Melkor.

Please pray for the health and recovery of my cousin Lanie who is in very weak condition and might pass away Amen

See The Paraclete was released if and only if Jesus died.

This is a matter that confronted me some twenty years ago and was thankfully able to immediately grasp the reality of it. But not many in mainstream Christianity do... And this is unfortunate, as holding to "...believe in..." can leave someone way short of the truth regarding a born-again of God Christian believer properly understanding what the reality of their born-again being actually is.

I look forward to having some rewarding fellowship regarding this matter.

Amen.

"What we can take from the change is that it is no longer considered to be true that he did not have communications with his son," Issa said, pointing to recent reporting of emails, messages, and alleged conversations that have involved the president himself in discussions related to Hunter Biden’s business ventures.
Indeed, it's all but a formal admission that Joe was lying.

The northern West Bank was once viewed by Israeli, Palestinian and international authorities as a kind of pilot program for Israeli disengagement from the occupied territory, and by some even as a potential prototype for a future Palestinian state.

But a sharp escalation of violence in the region in recent days involving Palestinian militants, Israeli security forces and extremist Jewish settlers underlines the failure of that vision.

The northern West Bank is witnessing an explosive mix of the rise of local, armed Palestinian militias carrying out shooting attacks against Israelis; almost daily raids by the Israeli military to arrest militants, which often turn deadly; and reprisals by extremist Jewish settlers, who have rampaged through Palestinian villages setting fire to property.

The killing Israelis at Eli set off waves of reprisals on Tuesday and Wednesday by Israeli extremists who rampaged through Palestinian towns and villages, including Turmus Aya, north of Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, which administers most Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank. Turmus Aya is a relatively well-heeled community, and many of its residents are also U.S. citizens.

It prompted an hourslong gun battle in which seven Palestinians, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed, according to Palestinian health officials. Israeli helicopter gunships were sent into the area for the first time since the early 2000s to secure forces trying to extricate wounded soldiers and armored vehicles disabled by a powerful roadside bomb.
A day later, Palestinian gunmen killed four Israeli civilians, including a 17-year-old boy, near the Jewish settlement of Eli. The Palestinian gunmen were members of the armed wing of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that seized control in the coastal territory of Gaza in 2007 after winning elections a year earlier.

And then late Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike by a pilotless drone killed three Palestinian militants in a car who the military said had just shot at an Israeli position in the northern West Bank and had carried out attacks against Jewish settlements in the area.

I am the Pastor of a local church (Assemblies of God). Been an Ordained Minister since 1994 and I travel Internationally teaching in Bible Schools.

I do not know everything - but if there is a question you always wanted to ask a pastor - here's your chance.

Nothing is off limits as long as we stay in the rules of the site.

The Hebrew word "nephesh" (soul) and the Greek words "phyches" (soul) and "pneumatos" (spirit) and the English word 'soul" are polysemantic. Their lexical meanings overlap. For precision and argumentation, I define spirit as a non-baryonic (invisible) substance that houses a person's conscience. I define soul as the collective faculties of volition, emotion, intellect, and memory. These definitions are based on Watchman Nee's The Spiritual Man. They correspond to the functions of the frontal lobe. Let me use a computer analogy.

English Revised Version, Genesis 2:

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,

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i.e., the hardware

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;

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i.e., animation power to give Adam conscience, and he became conscious

and man became a living soul.

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When the breath of life contacted the physical body, Adam's soul was formed, and he became aware. His soul grew gradually in terms of subroutines and memories daily. Our brain's programs/codes/neural networks change and develop dynamically based on our experiences/inputs. Our soul uniquely identifies you. It is your personality.

A person's volition faculty uniquely identifies him. That's the minimal identification of him. No other person has your volition organ. Ultimately, his volition makes his decisions. The volition is like the helm of a ship.

Closely associated with his volition are his conscience, emotion, intellect, memory, and spirit. These faculties grow and develop. They supply inputs to the volition for the person to make decisions.

Let me compare a human to a computer robot. The body is analogous to the physical hardware. The soul is the software code plus the data. The non-physical spirit provides the electricity supply.

The human soul + the human spirit = the inner man

Berean Literal Bible Ephesians 3:

16 that He might give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man

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What happens when the human spirit departs?

Job likened death to sleep in 14:

12 so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep.

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Daniel 12:

2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

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Also, in the NT, Acts 7:

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

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When Stephen's spirit left his body, it went to Jesus' care. His soul was deactivated, and his body died. His soul was zipped up and stored or saved (pardon the computer pun) at home with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:

8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

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The soul has a definite temporal beginning. Its animation life (consciousness) depends on the breath of God. It develops from its life experience. Its life can be suspended. Without the breath of God, it becomes unconscious, until the last day, John 6:

40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

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On the last day, your body will be reconstructed based on your stored soul data and genetic information. When a person dies, his soul is stored in a secure place.

See also Where was Jesus between his death and resurrection?

I posted this in New Members, but was encouraged to post it here. I’ve already had some good responses, but I want to see what everyone has to say.

This will be a little long, but I have been in a crisis of faith.

I’ve lived a life of greed, sloth and material good, as well as being an atheist. In April, I joined my wife’s church after realizing God is real and Jesus died for my sins, but that was the extent of my knowledge (I was baptized at 10, as I was crazies Christian and went to various Christian schools, but removed God from my life after I graduated).

I was baptized again in her church and felt I was saved. I did repent to God of my life, and confronted some people I needed to after I was baptized. I stopped smoking weed, stopped inappropriate content and repaired my relationship with my mom (honour the father and thy mother).

However, I was doing some strange things (I had been developing a table top rgp before my conversion). I was thinking I could understand what God wanted me to do by asking him questions and judging the time and how numbers added up. I told you, some weird behavior.

I’ve realized that is messed up and have tried to stop doing it. I have been reading the Bible, and really enjoy Acts. But a lot has happened in the weeks since the middle of April.

But I have developed insomnia, have had a few satanic dreams, since from the confusion of intellectual faith vs real faith, with some sermons saying all you need to do is believe in Jesus and you are saved, while others say “nope, gotta do works”. But then I read that works don’t matter. I’ve even donated to help a stranger and a few donations to charities, but I can’t tell if that is from the heart, out of fear or if it even matters (cause works don’t save you).

I’ve been seeing 9 (Bible says that means judgement) everywhere. We play a card came called play 9 (after golf) and all my individual scores could be added to nine. When I realized the last score would, I purposefully messed it up. Then the next day playing it with my wife, the last box was 63; which adds to 9.

I’m in a terror. With lack of sleep, repeating numbers, sermons that say just believe, while others say it is more than that, along with how can I tell of my faith is faith or mental. Then to top it off, the Lion Of Judah on YouTube says God doesn’t even care about your reading the Bible, going to church or any of that, he just cares about what is in your heart.

I am so, so very confused. And because of certain requirements (appointments for my wife, my mom and dog obligations), I dont know how to fix the sloth part of my life; which means I am still living in sin. I can’t just give all my money away without abandoning my obligations in order to not be like the rich man in hell.

God isn’t answering my prayers. I am in a fright he has stopped listening to me and has already judged me. How do I get back on the right track? I believe Jesus Christ is God, came here to spread the Word, was crucified, died and resurrected for our sins. But, is that just mental knowledge?

Not to mention, since I basically became an atheist after years of removing God, that makes me guilty of apostasy; which I have asked God to forgive after my second baptism.

How do I fix this? How do I fix my relationship with God?

I am sorry this message is so screwed up; I need help.

Edited: When I posted before, I forgot to add that I went through a period of condemnation of my past, as well as did a burning of a bunch of things I was holding above God, like in Acts. However, I think zeal had a hold of me. Not everything needed to go.

Hi everyone,

A question- what would you do if you won the 40 billion dollar jackpot with the lottery? I think if this happened to me I would start traveling the country making donations to any place that strikes my fancy, every church that I was impressed with would get 1 million dollars from me. I might keep enough money for myself that I am set for life but I would not need the rest, I would just give it all away. I would take it upon myself to flood the church in the United States with money! I would also give a nice fat check to Christian institutions of higher learning, Liberty University would get 100 million from me, also Regent, Messiah University, Clarks Summit University, and Pensacola Christian College would get 100 million. I would also give several million to several bible colleges, Blue Ridge School of the Prophets, Summit Bible College, International Bible College, and Christ for the Nations would get several mil. I live in central Pennsylvania and there are about 5 top-flight hospitals in the area, each one of them would get 100 million.

Faith and works are two sides of the same coin. Here I will give the First-Order Logical proof of that.

Let proposition F = you have faith in his heart.
W = you exhibit (faithful) deeds.

James 2:

¬W → ¬F
⇒ F → W

Now let's look at the converse.


Works show faith. But what kinds of works?

Galatians 2:

Works of the law (works according to the letters of the law, i.e., works without faith) are not good enough. Only faithful works or deeds will do.

Matthew 5:

My good faithful works show my faith.
W → F

Altogether, it is saying F ⟷ W.

F ≡ W. James 2:

What about saving by faith alone as expressed by Paul?

Ephesians 2:

We are saved by grace through faith for good works.

ESV 1 Timothy 4:

Titus 3:

Philippians 2:

Right. Works apart from faith (i.e., faithless works) are useless in saving you. However, after you have been saved by faith, you will naturally show faithful deeds because F ⇔ W according to James 2 and Galatians 2.

Basically, faith and faithful works are logically the same things. You can't have one without the other. Your invisible vertical faith will produce observable horizontal works.

See also JUSTIFICATION by works, grace, or faith?.

"The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the theory that state legislatures have almost unlimited power to decide the rules for federal elections and draw partisan congressional maps without interference from state courts.

The Constitution’s Elections Clause “does not insulate state legislatures from the ordinary exercise of state judicial review,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote in a 6 to 3 decision."

The “independent state legislature theory” holds that the U.S. Constitution gives that power to lawmakers even if it results in extreme partisan voting maps for congressional seats and violates voter protections enshrined in state constitutions.

But Roberts wrote that was wrong, within limits.
“Although we conclude that the Elections Clause does not exempt state legislatures from the ordinary constraints imposed by state law, state courts do not have free rein,” he wrote. State courts “may not transgress the ordinary bounds of judicial review such that they arrogate to themselves the power vested in state legislatures to regulate federal elections.”

Heard this discussion on polling yesterday.

When polled, most voters say Trump is "criminal," Biden is "old," and DeSantis is "fascist."

Do you, too, feel like we need better choices?

While I would choose the "old" candidate from those three, the other two terrify me.

Where are the knights (or ladies) riding in on a white charger to rescue us?

Etymology:

When I was born of the Spirit, the Paraclete dwells in my human spirit which is in touch with my conscience. Romans 9:1

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit

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Romans 8:16

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

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The Paraclete, as God's witness, testifies with our human spirit together that we are God's children.

The Paraclete strengthens your inner being. Ephesians 3:16

According to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith … 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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Whenever I focus on the Paraclete, I always sense peace. John 14:26

But the Helper [Paraclete], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

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Can you sense the Paraclete in you?

See Did Jesus ABOLISH the Mosaic Law?

Down is up and up is down.

The English word "save" or "salvation" has many meanings.
It has at least the following meanings:

1. It could mean being physically rescued at a point in time situation (Exodus 14:13, H3444, יְשׁוּעָה yeshuah). In this case, you may need to be rescued again. You can be rescued or saved multiple times. The only places in the OT where yeshuah is used unambiguously as saving people from sins are in Eze 36:29 and 37:23.

2. It could mean being accepted officially by a certain church/denomination. When you lose your membership, you lose this salvation.

3. It could describe a shallow Christian who is a Christian in name only (1 John 2:19). He looks like a Christian and talks like a Christian. Instead of serving God, he wants God to serve him. After a while, he goes away because he no longer finds God useful.

4. It could describe a serious Christian. He thinks he is in the faith (2Co 13:5, Col 1:23) and performs Christian works sincerely for years but departs from the faith eventually (1 Tim 4:1).

5. It could mean that your name is written in the Book of Life. Later, God may erase or at least threaten to erase that name and you may lose this type of salvation, Ex 32:32, Rev 3:5.

6. Finally, it could mean being saved from the physical now onto eternity. In this case, it requires the Paraclete to dwell in you presently. You cannot lose the Paraclete in you. This is the concept of being born of the Spirit. 1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

The word "save" or "salvation" is polysemantic. Depending on your definition of salvation, you can definitely lose your salvation.

The question that one should ask is not "Once saved, always saved?". The better question is whether you have the Paraclete Indwelling Spirit in you.

Can you lose your salvation?

Yes, in many many ways: John 15:2, Romans 11:22, Hebrews 6:4, 1 Corinthians 15:2.

Can you lose your Paraclete?

No, I don't think so. The Paraclete does what he does. He chooses to dwell in a person] by making a direct connection with the person's human spirit permanently.

Hello,
I hope I'm posting in the right place.

My husband and I have started our TTC journey. However I truly do not want sex to become stressful or lack intimacy. For some time now, sex with my husband has been very underwhelming. Most of the time it's the same position and I do all the work for the both of us.

This makes it very taxing on myself and honestly I don't enjoy it. I view sex as a beautiful thing from God and I think it should reflect the love the spouses have for one another. We are very lovey dovey and are constantly cuddling but that's where it stops. Because we are trying to enter a new chapter of our lives and are trying to start a family, I had hoped this would bring some intimacy and enjoyment into the marriage bed but it has been this way for the past 2 years. I'm not sure how to bring it up in conversation with my husband. I want to be respectful and don't want him to feel bad. However I've already started dreading sex with him which makes me feel like a horrible wife.

Does anyone have advice on how I should approach this in a gentle way? What should I do?

If this means what I think it means, then it seems to me that either:

1. Ezekiel was deceived (unfortunately for one of my favorite Old Testament moments )

OR

2. any entity telling you to that God wants you to commit your soul to it (or to another entity) is not to be trusted, since your soul belongs to God and would have to be given over by him (I'm reminded of the Devil offering Jesus power in exchange for worship despite Jesus being already guaranteed power by divine inheritance)

I'm sure there are other possibilities, but what?

To those who say the verse refers to the souls of the people of Israel only, I ask: To whom do all the others belong and why not to God, if he made all things?

Ellen White wrote extensively on the errors of the papacy, but did she ever mention Eastern Orthodoxy, which has never accepted the papacy? Was she even aware of Eastern Orthodoxy, given her primitive education?

"I don't feel like myself, ever."

They really ought to pay attention to these kids 'post surgeries' and stop pushing this.

The fire occurred on the one-year anniversary of the overturning of the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Investigators with the Orlando Fire Department are looking into what started a blaze at Incarnation Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida, Saturday night, causing severe damage to the inside of the building.

The fire, which was reported to law enforcement around 11:30 p.m. on June 24, occurred on the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

During 2022, in both the months prior and the wake after the Supreme Court struck down Roe, Catholic churches and pro-life pregnancy centers became the target of pro-abortion vandalism across the nation. CNA has been tracking incidents of pro-abortion vandalism, of which there have been 110 since May 2022.

It is unclear if the fire at Incarnation Catholic Church is related to an abortion activist’s violence.

According to the Orlando Fire Department, the fire was coming from the rear end of the building. Firefighters were able to put out the blaze in 22 minutes and no one was in the church at the time. No injuries were reported from the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There is no estimated cost in damages at this time, a spokesperson for the department told CNA Monday. The pastor of the church, Father William Holiday, told clickorlando.com that “the church for all intents and purposes on the inside is destroyed.”

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Some visionaries have said that if you encounter God or receive a message from God, there will simply be no doubt. But many have said that one must learn to recognize God's voice, appearance, etc., to avoid deception by devious spirits or even by oneself.

If you encounter an entity claiming to be God or to speak on behalf of God, how do you know if it is what it says?

If you're thinking of pasting 1 John 4:2, please to read this first. (That's just a part of the problem with that approach.)

ALERT: 'Imposter' Sister Lucy of Fatima Moving Closer to Sainthood! New forensic analysis and anecdotal evidence now being exposed suggests that the original Sr. Lucy of Fatima was replaced by a double.
that is to say an imposter - by the Shadow Church.

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