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

[Southernscotty]

Yes you can easily find it online and let me know whatcha think. It is very powerful.

 

[thewayforme]

I'll be off for a bit as I need to do some other things, but again, I so appreciate you all, and will be back! I can hardly wait to be honest, but I am committed to attend a potluck today with some folks that live in my building. God bless each of you today, denise

 

[thewayforme]

Yes you can easily find it online and let me know whatcha think. It is very powerful.

Ok! And I have to tell you, your dancing & enthusiasm puts mine to shame denise

 

[thewayforme]

Hello thewayforme! We're glad you're here, sister! I think you'll find some good fellowship and encouragement as you peruse and converse through these forums. But, just keep in mind that these forums encompass a wide variety of not only Christians, but various kinds of personality types and religious and sometimes not so religious people. Look for the good ...

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

I will take your advice because I know it is very wise, and I LOVE your username I was looking at that "void" part and thought of a program I watched the other night, about the Marian Trench?? That's what my life is like when i am leaving Christ out of my day to day living. And even there, He is still with me, I can see that Denise

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I will take your advice because I know it is very wise, and I LOVE your username I was looking at that "void" part and thought of a program I watched the other night, about the Marian Trench?? That's what my life is like when i am leaving Christ out of my day to day living. And even there, He is still with me, I can see that Denise

Amen, sister! I'm glad you were able to see the Void for what it is and ... "to fill the Void" with God's Spirit! (And thanks for the reference to the Marian Trench. Interesting stuff! )

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

 

[Willie T]

Hello Willie, as you can see, I am here, on this thread to learn as well. So I'll leave it to my brothers and sisters that have gone before me to take this if they would like to. Denise

My sole intent was never to confront you with a question. But rather, to make sure that anyone giving you a reply that "sounds good", is not offering one of simply hopeful expectations, but of factual (as far as we can determine) information that considers ALL the Scriptures pertaining to this subject, and not just something "feel-good" from the "Parable of Lazarus and Dives." The Bible has a lot to say about this that should be considered.

Please do your best not to let yourself become a "one-verse Christian." (That is someone who says, "Well verse so-and-so states thus-and-such, consequently, THERE is your answer." )

 

[Willie T]

Keep in mind that we were never intended to live in The Mariana Trench. That is a toxic environment that will only sustain life that was originally designed to exist there. We were not.

 

[Southernscotty]

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.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The "undesirables" are in torment now {This is not the final lake of fire}
When the great white throne judgement happens those that are in torment now will stand before God and be judged righteously and ultimately be cast into eternal torment with satan and the fallen angels which will be the lake of fire and utter darkness and separation.
The people suffering torment now that have rejected Christ as Savior I am sure know what their final judgement will be.
All I know is that God has the final authority on all these matters.

 

[thewayforme]

My sole intent was never to confront you with a question. But rather, to make sure that anyone giving you a reply that "sounds good", is not offering one of simply hopeful expectations, but of factual (as far as we can determine) information that considers ALL the Scriptures pertaining to this subject, and not just something "feel-good" from the "Parable of Lazarus and Dives." The Bible has a lot to say about this that should be considered.

Please do your best not to let yourself become a "one-verse Christian." (That is someone who says, "Well verse so-and-so states thus-and-such, consequently, THERE is your answer." )

I am open to any scripture in regards to my question Willie, so please feel free to post them. What I do is use what I believe to be discernment from the Holy Spirit, and if I am not familiar with, or have questions on verses relating to, I will read them myself. And hopefully remembering to ask God's help in my understanding.

I do know God says that the natural man/woman find the bible foolish, and I do believe God's Holy Spirit is living in me, and one reason is, I don't find any of the bible foolish. At the same time, I find talking others also helps in understanding as well. So I am "not" foolish in disregarding teachings of those that have gone before me.

I better find the verse:

1Co 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

[thewayforme]

Keep in mind that we were never intended to live in The Mariana Trench. That is a toxic environment that will only sustain life that was originally designed to exist there. We were not.

Maybe that was a foolish comparison, but that's just something that came to me about a void in my life. I could say it's more like hell when I've separated myself from Christ, kept him out of most of my everyday life. I don't think God made us for hell either.

 

[Willie T]

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The "undesirables" are in torment now {This is not the final lake of fire}
When the great white throne judgement happens those that are in torment now will stand before God and be judged righteously and ultimately be cast into eternal torment with satan and the fallen angels which will be the lake of fire and utter darkness and separation.
The people suffering torment now that have rejected Christ as Savior I am sure know what their final judgement will be.
All I know is that God has the final authority on all these matters.

Was there a time you had not accepted Christ? Of course there was. But, you speak as though, because you were such a person at one time, that you should already know you aren't going to Heaven..... or is that just other people? Kind of a sweeping statement you seem to be trying to make there. We need to be a bit careful of that sort of thing.

 

[thewayforme]

Was there a time you had not accepted Christ? Of course there was. But, you speak as though, because you were such a person at one tome, that you should already know you aren't going to Heaven..... or is that just other people? Kind of a sweeping statement you seem to be trying to make there. We need to be a bit careful of that sort of thing.

I have a question for you Willie, did you come to help me with my question? If so, I would sure appreciate your feedback on that. Maybe some verses to show me your take on what I asked. You said in your first post that you knew of many, and I am open to hearing them and how they might help me understand, sort things out.

Thanks much, Denise

 

[thewayforme]

I really do have to go now, a trip to the store for the potluck, again, God bless everyone's day, and I'll check back in later today and hope to see you all again, Denise

 

[Southernscotty]

Was there a time you had not accepted Christ? Of course there was. But, you speak as though, because you were such a person at one tome, that you should already know you aren't going to Heaven..... or is that just other people? Kind of a sweeping statement you seem to be trying to make there. We need to be a bit careful of that sort of thing.

Unfortunately Willie I spent most of my life running from God. I was a drunk and a most miserable man so yes I was lost. The statement you make if I understand it correctly? is that I didn't know I was hell bound? Oh yes Sir, I knew without a doubt because God has made the revelation of who He is to everyone in this world and not any of us have an excuse. Romans 1:20
He has shown who He is through His creation. So the sweeping statement is that we better get on board or get left. Once the ark door closes, that's it. :]

 

[Willie T]

I have a question for you Willie, did you come to help me with my question? If so, I would sure appreciate your feedback on that. Maybe some verses to show me your take on what I asked. You said in your first post that you knew of many, and I am open to hearing them and how they might help me understand, sort things out.

Thanks much, Denise

Yes, I did. But, you seem to have completely missed the answer. I do not play "What does this isolated verse mean?.... so that I can build a doctrine on it."

I told you that any particular or specific individual verse we may choose is NOT the whole truth of most subjects. But, rather it is a building block — one of thousands of other verses God gave us in that book to put together and develop a much more rounded and fuller understanding of His wishes for us than just deciding that a singular verse, standing isolated, alone, and apart from the rest of Scripture, has to mean a certain thing.

We are never going to fully understand many verses in the Bible if we choose to simply decide that a singular verse means only what the few words it might contain declare. What we instantly conclude from just a single verse as a fact that has nothing to do with the hundreds of other verses talking about that particular subject.... is often a conclusion that can distract us for years.

 

[Willie T]

Unfortunately Willie I spent most of my life running from God. I was a drunk and a most miserable man so yes I was lost. The statement you make if I understand it correctly? is that I didn't know I was hell bound? Oh yes Sir, I knew without a doubt because God has made the revelation of who He is to everyone in this world and not any of us have an excuse. Romans 1:20
He has shown who He is through His creation. So the sweeping statement is that we better get on board or get left. Once the ark door closes, that's it. :]

I didn't say that. Read my third sentence again.

 

[Willie T]

A lot of this is predicated upon a misapplication of the Lazarus parable. Is there anyone here who can show (from that single parable) that the rich man was "evil?" Or, even that the beggar was "good?" No, actually you can't. The only thing we can stretch out of that parable is to claim that because one was rich, he was bad, and because the other was poor, he was good.

In effect, even when you and I give a lousy $50 or $75 on Sunday, it is no more than just letting the poor of an underdeveloped country "eat of the scraps of our table"..... just as the rich man did with Lazarus.

Is he evil, but not us? He opened his doors and let Lazarus come right up to his table and eat the leftovers he pushed aside. Not a magnanimous man, but certainly not "evil."

 

[Southernscotty]

I didn't say that. Read my third sentence again.

Well, I just got back and to be honest, I am not quite sure what you are saying here. {Probably the fact that I am from Arkansas} I don't see anything wrong with my post though, Maybe I should look at some past postings of yours and see where you are coming from and maybe I will see what you mean? I just came to welcome the OP. Blessings

 

[~Anastasia~]

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

Hello and welcome to CF!

Like others mentioned, I see the basic question has been answered. Folks will disagree on some details but I mostly wanted to reply that the soul is NOT asleep/unconscious after death - usually called "soul sleep" and taught by a couple of modern denominations but never the Christian understanding through the history of the faith.

I think I'll leave the rest alone. But most especially welcome to CF. I pray you are blessed by being here.

 

[thewayforme]

Hello and welcome to CF!

Like others mentioned, I see the basic question has been answered. Folks will disagree on some details but I mostly wanted to reply that the soul is NOT asleep/unconscious after death - usually called "soul sleep" and taught by a couple of modern denominations but never the Christian understanding through the history of the faith.

I think I'll leave the rest alone. But most especially welcome to CF. I pray you are blessed by being here.

Thank you Anastasia that's interesting and it is something I've heard of I just don't know much about it but I do thank you for your welcome ☺