Hello all:) I'm a newbie here, and need some help on a couple of verses

thewayforme said:

Oh well Willie, it is what it is, the Word of God, and it's in verses, chapters and books. I don't know what else to tell you. I've made it clear where I stand. Thanks for you input.

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I really enjoy one particular Bible I have that is written without Chapters and Verses. (Actually, I have two, but one of them is a bit "slanted.")

Hi Denise, I just popped onto this thread to say "Welcome to GE" and I hope you enjoy the forum. I'm Sue, from the UK, and have been here many years.

Willie T - Happy Birthday!

Willie T said:

Willie T said: ↑
I have one question: Since the Bible seems to indicate that God is in a "place" called Heaven, and it also says that there will NOT be any people who are of a certain "undesirable" type there........ Where are those people while awaiting the resurrection? There has been no Judgement at that point. And the Bible says that many people will be SURPRISED to hear that they are Hell-bound on that Judgement day.
I would think that if they are burning in torment somewhere, that just "might" be a small hint to them that Heaven is not going to be their future home.

I really do think many of us are attempting to jump to a "conclusion" that is not supported by Scripture.


Can you be more specific? What part of my post do you have a hard time understanding?

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Happy Birthday!

I don't think I'm having any trouble understanding your post. But unless I'm missing something, I see you pointing out assumptions people make and kind of calling out those assumptions, but I didn't see another suggestion.

If you don't have one - that's ok too. You may know that Orthodoxy regards certain things as "mystery" when God has not revealed it, and we are perfectly happy not to try to make up answers.

Not trying to put you on the spot. And not wishing to derail this thread.

I just notice first - that you (correctly) point out that the final judgement is not yet - upon a person's death. And now I notice you comment about the idea that God is in a "place" where certain people are not - I would agree with you here also because there IS no place that God is not. The Psalms even mention if we were to be in "hell" (often translated) that God is also there.

But I'm not seeing what you propose otherwise. There could be various interpretations. I am just curious, that's all.

Again, Happy Birthday!

thewayforme said:

Thank Anastasia! I enjoyed it a lot, and turned out to be very small numbers, but God plan is always better than mine I also got to attend a special meeting to discuss Easter Sunday plans, and I get to attend a women's bible-study on Tues. Eve. It's called "one Year Bible Study" and it's online, so no book to purchase (oneyearbibleonline.com) This will structure my bible reading because sometimes, I just begin wherever which I know God always blesses me that way as well. I do like a bit of a plan though

Very grateful for everything going on in my life and I know God is orchestrating it. One thing I've done in the past is bite off more than I can chew, and as I mentioned somewhere, pray, ask God's help, then just go for something instead of really waiting on His answer. And sometimes His answer is just being "asked" to do something. So I did let them know at church I want to find out where God wants me to serve, what are my gifts and talents. I have ideas on that but I want God to really show me, and then hope I recognize it when He is showing me

I know that I need to keep my eyes on Jesus, not other people. If I do that He makes it easy to accept that others, including myself, are right where He is allowing us to be.

Thank you again Anastasia, Denise

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Glad you've found a chance to be involved. That's always a blessing.

God guides us all when we allow Him. I will be ever grateful for that! He certainly knows I needed it.

God be with you!

thewayforme said:

I love the UK, especially since I found out most of my ancestors came from either Wales, or England. I watch a lot of BBC shows and I think the history of the UK is something I would never get tired of hearing about

So nice to meet you Sue, and just so nice to be talking with other christians as I've spent far too much time with folks that are mostly secular. And for me, that's not a good thing since all I seem to do is end up reverting back to my old "secular" ways. Denise

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I love history too, and we've certainly got it here! I'm also interested in the history of the USA and the westward expansion. My great-aunt moved out there in the early twentieth century, ending up in LA, so I've some relatives in America and have visited twice.

Anyway I don't want to derail this thread, but just thought I'd pop in to say that I hope you enjoy the Christian fellowship here. I've a mixture of Christian and secular friends and relatives, and I think there is a balance to be struck between enjoying the fellowship of believers and being 'in' but not 'of' the world, to show Christ's love to others. I'm not saying I've managed the balance however!

thewayforme said:

Ok, back to what you said before the cake arrived. You use a bible, and it is one I am not familiar with. What is the name to the bible with no verses etc.? I have seen a list of bible that are written in the order the of the information as it happened in history for example. But I haven't come upon one, that I can remember, that must read something like a novel (for lack of a better word). It does sound interesting to me, so I am all ears

I can't help but wonder about the one you say is slanted though, and how so Inquiring minds want to know, Denise

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First of all, thank you for the cake. It is the only one I have gotten in years.

Secondly, the "continuous" Bible I have is called "The Flat Bible" (nothing to do with "Flat Earth")

And the one that I feel is "slanted" is called The Story. It is a NIV and is really interesting, but the commentary that flows along with it is sometimes a little too far afield for me. But, I think it is great in the manner it is written. Most people shun The Story so copies of it can be purchased very cheaply at a lot of Christian Book Stores.

But, the Flat Bible is kind of cool to read when you realize you are sort of reading the letters the way they were actually sent to the different people and churches.

~Anastasia~ said:

Happy Birthday!

I don't think I'm having any trouble understanding your post. But unless I'm missing something, I see you pointing out assumptions people make and kind of calling out those assumptions, but I didn't see another suggestion.

If you don't have one - that's ok too. You may know that Orthodoxy regards certain things as "mystery" when God has not revealed it, and we are perfectly happy not to try to make up answers.

Not trying to put you on the spot. And not wishing to derail this thread.

I just notice first - that you (correctly) point out that the final judgement is not yet - upon a person's death. And now I notice you comment about the idea that God is in a "place" where certain people are not - I would agree with you here also because there IS no place that God is not. The Psalms even mention if we were to be in "hell" (often translated) that God is also there.

But I'm not seeing what you propose otherwise. There could be various interpretations. I am just curious, that's all.

Again, Happy Birthday!

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That's because I wasn't presenting what I thought was an alternative. That was the question I asked..... Where people on here felt the "bad" dead were while they were awaiting The Day of Judgement?

Here is a link to the Flat Bible.
Smooth Reading Format ‘Flat Bible’

I can also send anyone one I have on my computer (in MS WORD Format), but it is on this site in WORD already.

Willie T said:

That's because I wasn't presenting what I thought was an alternative. That was the question I asked..... Where people on here felt the "bad" dead were while they were awaiting The Day of Judgement?

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Ah ok - gotcha.

Thanks for the reply.

This is a small excerpt from The Story to show you how it is written.... (Starts at Genesis 9:8)

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you — every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

The earth recovered from this great flood. Animal and plant life flourished. Noah’s family repopulated the earth. The cycle of life continued, and people remembered God. Ancient businesses grew, homesteads and farms developed, and trade routes brought wealth and opportunity for travel. It was time for God’s next move, time to build a nation in a land that would become the cultural and ethnic home to ... well, that part of the story is yet to come.

Abram (whose name God later changed to Abraham) had all the wrong qualifications for being a founder of God’s nation: His relatives worshiped other gods in a country far from what would become the promised land; Abram and his wife, Sarai (whose name God later changed to Sarah), were way beyond childbearing years and Sarai couldn’t get pregnant — no children meant no people to populate God’s nation. No problem. God promised the impossible to Abram, and Abram watched as the impossible occurred. Here’s how it happened.

1 Offering: Something given to God in an act of thankfulness, worship or payment for disobedience. In the Old Testament, there were five kinds of offerings: burnt, grain, fellowship, sin and guilt. The death of Jesus in the New Testament is the ultimate offering that paid the full price of sin. This word is synonymous with sacrifice.

2 Sin: Evil, moral shortcoming, wrongdoing or disobedience. This term refers to any action, thought or attitude that does not meet the standards set by God.

3 Righteous: Living according to the standards set by God. God’s righteousness refers to his justice and perfection.

4 Covenant: An agreement or promise between two parties. A covenant was intended to be unbreakable.

thewayforme said:

I am a christian, 65 now, and so wishy washy over the years between when I was saved, and now. It's hard to admit that to folks I know nothing about here on the forums, but I want to rededicate my life to Him. I gave my life to Christ, and then went about most of those years doing my own thing, but actually some of the time, believing He was leading me. I think He was just letting me go my own, stupid way. I was allowing myself to be confused, and I was taught that confusion was never of God.

Enough on that for now, but I have been reading the Word, and I like the NKJV, but believe there are other, good translations as well. I was listening to a sermon this a.m. You know how you read something many times, but finally one day you actually realize something about it you didn't think of before? Well here is the verse, and the other one I thought of when I read it. Then I'll put my question last. I would love to hear your input on it because I know God doesn't lie to us, or try to confuse us with His Word.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Luke 23:43
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

I wondered why others that have died are "I guess" sleeping, but Jesus said the thief would be with Him that day, in paradise?

I hear folks say that their loved ones that have passed are with Jesus now. So yes, I'm confused and could us some help on this one.

Thanks in advance for any replies, and hoping this will turn into a sort of "home" group on this over-whelmingly huge forum

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2 Corinthians 5.8: "absent from the body... present with the Lord."

thewayforme said:

thank you Farouk, very clear to me now, and I know as I read His Word, often, I will find answers to all my questions. There lies to answers through His Holy Spirt, praise God

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This is the way to go; keeping feeding on the Word prayerfully and seeking and finding answers there.

thewayforme said:

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Luke 23:43
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

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What Jesus said to the man on the cross needs the comma to be placed after today, (my thoughts) It is Biblical that when we die we will be sleeping in the grave until Jesus returns with a shout and a host of Angels to take us home. I do read in every obits and hear at every funeral that "they are now in Heaven with Jesus", and I firmly believe that is mainly to give comfort to the grieving. They certainly aren't going to say, 'now your loved one is in the raging fires of hell'! After all, we do not judge here on earth, only God knows the heart and the eternal destination of each person.
ronandcarol