TheDoctor394 Offline

55 Single Male from Brisbane       116
         
I'm a Christian who lives in Brisbane, Australia, although I was born in London, England. I work in the childcare industry.

HydroMan
HydroMan: God’s Will: understanding how God wills and times something 2

Example:

A man named Ben plans to marry a woman named Kate. On the way to the wedding, Kate dies in a car crash after a drunk driver hits her car. Does this mean that it was God’s will and plan for Kate to be killed by a drunk driver and leave Ben heartbroken? It was not God’s will or plan for a drunk driver to kill Kate and leave people sad (God did not want/will a person to sin by getting drunk and kill Kate in a car crash, nor did He plan/orchestrate a person to sin by getting drunk and kill Kate in a car crash). Instead, it is God’s will and plan to bring good out of suffering and tragedy (use pain and suffering to His advantage in order to accomplish good—even if we cannot see it in the short term/at the moment suffering occurs) In this case, it is God’s will and plan for the drunk driver to run a campaign that teaches people about the consequences of drink driving (learn from his mistakes and spread awareness of drink driving)

Example:

A woman named Fiona has a miscarriage after her husband violently pushes her. Does this mean that it was God’s will and plan for Fiona to be abused and lose her unborn child (give her a child just to take it away soon after she becomes pregnant)? It was not God’s will or plan for Fiona to be abused and lose her unborn child (God did not want/will Fiona’s husband to physically abuse her and lose her unborn child, nor did God plan/orchestrate Fiona’s husband to physically abuse her and lose her unborn child). Instead, it is God’s will and plan to bring good out of the evil, suffering and tragedy (use evil, pain and suffering to His advantage in order to accomplish good—such as turning Fiona’s weaknesses into strengths). In this case, it is God’s will and plan for Fiona to become a counsellor in order to help other women that have been physically abused or have lost a child (comfort and support other women that have experienced the same or similar physical and emotional ordeals)

Example:

A woman named Bianca loses her arms and legs in a car accident. Does this mean that it was God’s will and plan for Bianca to suffer and have her limbs amputated? It was not God’s will or plan for Bianca to become an amputee (God did not want/will Bianca to lose her limbs, nor did God plan/orchestrate Bianca to lose her limbs). Instead, it is God’s will and plan to bring good out of suffering and tragedy (use pain and suffering to His advantage in order to accomplish good—such as turning Bianca’s weaknesses into strengths). In this case, it is God’s will and plan for Bianca to paint with her tongue and also become a Paralympic champion—bringing joy to many (take an ordinary person and make them do something extraordinary). Furthermore, God is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful. So while God knows, and has the power, to grow Bianca’s limbs back (something that is good and corresponds with the character of an all-good God), He also knows, and has the power, to make an amputee paint with their tongue and become a Paralympic champion (something that is also good and corresponds with an all-good God)

Example:

A man named Jim loses his eyesight after a group of men beat and rob him. Does this mean that it was God’s will and plan for Jim to be beaten and lose his eyesight? It was not God’s will or plan for Jim to be beaten, robbed, and lose his eyesight (God did not want/will a group of men to commit a sin and leave Jim blind, nor did God plan/orchestrate a group of men to commit a sin and leave Jim blind. Instead, it is God’s will and plan to bring good out of the evil, suffering and tragedy (use evil, pain and suffering to His advantage in order to accomplish good—such as turning Jim’s weaknesses into strengths). In this case, it is God’s will and plan for Jim to learn to play the piano—bringing joy to many (take an ordinary person and make them do something extraordinary). Furthermore, God is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful. So while God knows, and has the power, to restore Jims vision (something that is good and corresponds with the character of an all-good God), He also knows, and has the power, to make a blind person play the piano (something that is also good and corresponds with an all-good God)
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HydroMan
HydroMan: How do you make a distinction between God's will (God calling you to serve Him in some way) and your own will and desires?

For example, when I post or make a blog, is it because God wants me to make the blog (it is God's will for me to do research and share it with others) or is it simply an urge or desire that i have (hence why i would never say to you, "It is God's will for you to read this", as this could be blasphemy)

Its kind of like making a distinction between God changing a Believer, and a person turning over a new leaf ( own desire to change their ways)
3 days ago Report Link
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Another example, how does a person know God is calling them to do missionary work. Do they say, "God is calling me to do missionary work/it is God's will for me to do missionary work" or is it more appropriate to say, "I THINK God is calling me to do missionary work/I THINK it is God's will for me to do missionary work" and only after doing missionary work say, "God has called me to do missionary work/it is God's will for me to do missionary work"?

I think its the latter, but still not sure how to make a distinction between Gods will and the will of the individual (personal urge and desire to do missionary work)
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I actually sent an email "Knowing God's will" (I THINK it was God's will for me to send it to you), perhaps you can have look at it and let me know what you think
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Personally, I think the only way we can know for sure that something is God's will, apart from knowing that He never wants us to sin, is when something actually happens.

When I was accepted to study at the Bible College of Queensland, I knew that it was God's will for me to have reached that point, but I could not say for sure yet that He actually wanted me to start. If I knew it for sure, that would mean that I could be sure that I was not going to face death until it happened, and I don't see how we can ever be certain about that.

Such a view was brought home to me when I did start college, for I heard about a Christian going to another one. He had been accepted, but died before he started. The day that was supposed to be his commencement ended up being the day of his funeral. The chances were that he firmly believed that it was God's will to study, but it obviously wasn't.

I can also look at my current job and remember to when, over four years ago, I was lying on my bed, stuck unemployed and not knowing what to do. I suddenly got up and had yet another look at a job site, saw an advert and applied. In two days, I had a job and, despite going through the rough pandemic years, I've had it ever since. At the time, I could not have said for sure that it was God who urged me to apply for the job, but I can now see that it was His will.

Sometimes it might be more obvious than at others, and we should certainly always be asking God for guidance as to what He wants us to do, but I believe it is very dangerous to assume something is (again, at least it is a moral issue) until we are actually doing it, or have done it.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Praying to False Gods 2

INTRODUCTION

As Christians, we believe there is only one God (Jesus). And this God is not the same God that people of other theist religions believe, love and worship (e.g. Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Sikh’s do not worship the same god as Christians). Therefore, if a Christian was invited to the home or wedding of a Jew, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh and was asked to pray to their god, then they cannot take part in the prayer. This is because prayer is an act of worship. So to pray to a different god is to worship and love a different god—something that is forbidden in the Bible

Example: If a Hindu, said to a Christian, “Let’s pray to God”, then the Christian cannot pray with them because Yahweh/Jesus is not the same as Brahman

Example: If a Jew said to a Christian, “Let’s pray to God”, then the Christian cannot pray with them because Jews do not believe Jesus is Yahweh (before Jesus came to earth, the Jews worshipped Yahweh, but now worship a false god/longer worship Yahweh because they do not believe Jesus is Yahweh)

CHRISTIAN CULTS

This brings us to Christian cults. There are many people that claim to be Christian/claim to worship the God from the Bible, but are actually worshipping a false god and false Jesus. For example;

* Catholics worship a false god/Jesus—a Jesus that says, “My death is insufficient—works are necessary”
* Mormons worship a false god/Jesus—a Jesus that says, “I was created and not eternal”
* Jehovah’s Witnesses worship a false god/Jesus—a Jesus that says, “I a god and not the God/not eternal”

So how should Christians respond if they are asked by someone (who worships a false god/Jesus) to take part in prayer with them? For instance,

* If a Christian is invited to the home of a Catholic or to Mass, and the Catholic says, “Let’s pray to God”, then what should a Christian do? If they take part in prayer (an act of worship), then would they be giving a false representation of Christianity (misleading others to think the Catholic god is the one true God)? Would they be worshipping a false god (no different than praying to the Hindu god Brahman)?

* If a Christian is invited to attend a wedding of a Jehovah’s Witness, and a Jehovah’s Witness says at the wedding, “Let’s pray to God”, then what should a Christian do? If they take part in prayer (an act of worship), then would they be giving a false representation of Christianity (misleading others to think the Jehovah’s Witness god is the one true God)? Would they be worshipping a false god (no different than praying to the Hindu god Brahman)?

* If a Christian is speaking to a Mormon on the streets and the Mormon, “Let’s pray to God”, then what should a Christian do? If they take part in prayer (an act of worship), then would they be giving a false representation of Christianity (misleading others to think the Mormon god is the one true God)? Would they be worshipping a false god (no different than praying to the Hindu god Brahman)?

RESOLVING THE PREDICAMENT

First, it should be pointed out that not all Catholics, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses worship a false god/Jesus (just as not all Baptists, Lutherans and Anglicans worship the true God/Jesus). It is only those that adhere to the false teachings of these religious institutions that worship a false god/Jesus and not the one true God/Jesus. Thus, we must be careful not to judge every Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness and Catholic as someone that believes and worships a false god/Jesus

Second, if a Christian is asked by someone (who worships a false god/Jesus) to take part in prayer with them (e.g. in the home, at a wedding, at a church service etc), then the Christian can say to them, “I am happy to attend your church/dinner/function/home. But I just want to let you know that I do not feel comfortable taking part in any prayer that may occur during the wedding/dinner/function. This is because I do not believe the god that you pray to is the same God that I pray to. You may not agree and believe we are worshipping the same God. But this is not something I believe. So if I was to attend, then I appreciate it if you allow me to either stand in silence during the prayer or go to another room.” Another example, if a Christian is asked by someone (who worships a false god/Jesus) to take part in prayer with them (e.g. on the street), then the Christian can say to them, “I cannot join you in prayer because do not believe the god that you pray to is the same God that I pray to. You may not agree and believe we are worshipping the same God. But this is not something I believe.”

Third, as mentioned, not all Catholics, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses worship a false god/Jesus. This means that we need to discern each situation differently. For example, if one of your friends is Catholic and wants you to comfort them and pray with them, then it might be acceptable to pray. So even though your friend might be praying to a false god/Jesus, you yourself are praying to the one true God/Jesus and asking Him to guide and strengthen your friend (no different than a Believer praying for a non-believer

CONCLUSION

How should Christians respond if they are asked by someone (who worships a false god/Jesus) to take part in prayer with them? The answer will vary depending on the person and situation
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: While I agree with this overall, I was just wondering whether one could say that any Mormon or Jehovah's Witness could be seen as worshiping the true God. If they really are Mormon or JW, I would think that means they worship a false god. If they worshiped the one Christians believe in, wouldn't that mean they're not Mormon or JW?

I'm not sure whether that would be the same for Roman Catholics, as I've been ready to say that some Catholics might be Christians as well, but I wonder if I'm being inconsistent there. Maybe it's because I see Catholicism as having a wider range of beliefs that one can either accept or reject, and it's possible that a Catholic could accept certain, non-heretical beliefs while still being part of that faith as well as the Christian one. Or maybe I'm wrong there.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I think its possible that some ( certainly not the majority) Mormons and JWs know about the false teachings that exist in their organisation, but deliberately remain part of it in order to try and convert others to Christ and set them free from the false teachings. So on surface, they identify themselves as Mormons and JWs, but are actually saved and secretly trying to bring other Mormons and JWs to the truth. If that makes sense.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I just think that, from time to time, we should remind ourselves that not everyone associated with one of these cults is necessarily a false believer
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HydroMan
HydroMan: This is a tricky question. Let's say you were with a Hindu, and they said, "Let's pray to God". You probably won't pray because it would give the false idea that Yahweh and Brahman are the same God.

But how far do we go exactly? For example, if you were with a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness, and they said, "Let's pray to God", would you pray, or refuse to pray because you know they worship a false god, no different than a Hindu?
7 days ago Report Link
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: I'd probably say something like, "I'd pray to the God I believe in, but I can't join you in praying to a god I don't believe exists."
Where it goes from there, I wouldn't know.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Thank you. This has helped me a lot. It does get more tricky in terms of how far do we go. I mean, we could argue that Catholics worship a false god and false Jesus, a god that requires works for salvation, and a god that elevates Mary to the same level as Jesus. If I was with a group of Catholics and they said, "lets pray to God", i might be hesitant because they might not be worshipping the true God. Having said that, many Catholics are saved and worship the true God, just like some Mormons and JWs probably worship the true God. Probably comes down to discerning each situation.
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: I think it is. All situations have certain variables.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I sent an email "marriage and divorce". I don't know if you will agree with it, as this is a subject that is heavily debated upon (what grounds did Jesus permit divorce, and can a person remarry after being divorced). Also, because my sister is going through a divorce, it makes it even more complicated. Having said that, despite my personal feelings on whether my sister should divorce, I am trying to be objective and base my research on what the Bible says, rather than how i feel. In essence, I believe the Bible says (1) remarriage is only permitted if a spouse has died (2) divorce is permitted if a spouse has committed adultery/fornication (divorce for any other reason is wrong, and divorce and remarrying is wrong)
9 days ago Report Link
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: This is a subject I've never really looked into all that much, since it's not something that's really applied to me personally.

I do agree with your understanding on what the Bible says concerning divorce, but I think there is a place for a split if one of the spouses is abusive. My view is that, while divorcing in that context could be seen as a sin, staying with the abusive spouse, and, if there are children involved, keeping them in danger, is a far greater sin. In other words, it becomes the lesser of two evils.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I've started to share some of my writings and research on this site. Already some of the negative responses are coming through. One person saying, "talk about overthinking" . But comments like that are in encouraging because they haven't been able to debunk anything I've said. Regardless, I'll be trying to avoid reading the comments and just hope some of the things I've written might have a positive influence.
10 days ago Report Link
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HydroMan
HydroMan: This is also an example of the double standards atheists have. On one hand, they believe Christians live by blind faith. But when you provide evidence for why you are not an atheist, you are overthinking
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: :-) That's actually pretty funny, an atheist accusing a Christian of "overthinking" when, as you say, we're supposed to be the ones who don't think at all.

You're certainly going to cop it, but that's how it all works. I've had plenty of barbs from atheists over the years and, I suppose, I find it hard to face them nowadays.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Yes its one of the reasons why I dont really share my research with people online. I've pretty much blocked every atheist in the religion room. But I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone. I'll post some stuff in forums, but I'm not going to respond to any of the feedback, good or bad.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I sent an email "Did Jesus claim to be God". This is something I have sent before, but I have elaborated on it and added a lot more to it. It also covers 'the right hand of God'. It is quite long, so I understand if you dont have the time to read all of it.
22 days ago Report Link
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I also sent an email 'lawyer contradiction' and attempted to harmonize the passages
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Thanks for all this, and it's interesting that I've never noticed the lawyer issue at all, not even from Bible critics who love to pick at it. Your explanation does make sense.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: John 5:18 says, “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” The Jews called God their “Father” (Deuteronomy 32:6, Malachi 2:10). Yet at the same time, there were Jews that wanted to kill Jesus because He “was calling God His own Father” This is because Jesus called God “Father” in a way that made Himself “equal with God”—something that no Jew would do. If Jesus was not God (equal with God), then this would have been the perfect time to mention it/correct the Jews by stating that He is not equal with God (‘why are you trying to kill Me? I never said I was equal with God’).

Also, just after Jesus “was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” , He immediately points out that a person must “honor the Son even as they honor the Father” (John 5:23). This means that the Father and Son are to be equally honored as God because they are both God. In other words, Jesus is claiming that those who deny the divinity of the Son (dishonour the Son) are also dishonouring the Father (refusing to honour the Son as equally divine with the Father is the same as dishonouring the Father)
22 days ago Report Link
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HydroMan
HydroMan: This whole "Jesus did not exist/was invented" argument is still made today. It is really old and has no warrant. I sent an email to you on this (was Jesus invented), it is one way of debunking the argument (a criteria I use - motive, suspect, evidence)

Also, I cant remember if I said this before, but anything I send to you, including blogs I make here, you are free to share with anyone you know (family friends etc) whether they are friends on this site or friends/family in the outside world
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Yes, I do wonder the motivation for those who deny Jesus existed. It clearly goes against evidence and the general acceptance from the world, and does nothing for their credibility.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: There also seems to be a bias. For example, atheists don't believe in Allah. But they believe Mohammed existed and was the founder of Islam. So why do they treat Christianity differently? They don't believe in God, but unlike Mohammed, they don't believe Jesus existed and was the founder of Christianity.
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: That's an interesting point. Maybe because Mohammed lived more recently? But still a long time ago, and there's not that much difference in time. Or maybe because he's more known for his statements than all sorts of miracles, which skeptics scorn. In other words, maybe critics of Christianity dismiss things like the gospels because there are so many elements which are unbelievable to them and, therefore, they "throw the baby out with the bathwater".

Or maybe it is just bias. For whatever reasons, they hate Christianity more than Islam.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: this ties in with the email i sent you

hydroman
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I sent an email 'law and covenant' It relates to whether the Law of Moses (including the blessings and punishments) apply today. I always find it fascinating that those who are part of the word of faith movement quote passages that refer to blessings for those who obey the Law of Moses, but not passages that refer to punishments for disobedience. If we are not under the Law, then we are not under the punishments or blessings of the Law
28 days ago Report Link
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: I've had a read, and yes, you're right. These teachers are forever talking about the blessings promised to the Jews in the OT, but very rarely (maybe never, but possibly there are occasional, brief references) do they address the punishments, even though they are, if anything, more expansive than the rewards.

They are very inconsistent. As you say, if we're under the OT Law, then we get both the blessings and the punishments taught. If we aren't, then we get neither.
27 days ago Report
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Thank you.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I should also point out that there are laws in the OT that can apply today. But they apply, not because we are under the law, but because they (1) coincide with the law of Christ (1) are universal timeless truths. For example, the law, "do not murder", was part of the law. This applies today, not because we are under the law, but because murder is universally wrong ( murder was wrong before, during and after the laws of Moses)
27 days ago Report
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HydroMan
HydroMan: 500,000 Israelites killed?

The Bible tells us that Abijah sent “400,000 chosen men” into battle against Jeroboam’s “800,000 chosen men” (2 Chronicles 13:3) and that Abijah defeated Jeroboam’s men—“500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain” (2 Chronicles 13:17). This number seems excessive. In fact, this number is more than the loss of any single battle of World War II, even exceeds the number of deaths that resulted from the dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. So how do we explain this?

The Hebrew word elep is sometimes translated as thousand (Exodus 18:21; Numbers 10:36; Numbers 31:4-5; Joshua 7:3; 1 Samuel 23:23). However, the word elep also means company and is used elsewhere in Scripture as a reference to ‘groups’ rather than a literal ‘number’. For example, some Bible translations have translated the word elep as “clans” (Joshua 22:14, 1 Samuel 10:19, Isaiah 60:22, Micah 5:2, Judges 6:15), “family” (Joshua 22:21; 22:30), “divisions” (Numbers 1:16), and “tribe” (Numbers 10:4).

Therefore, if ‘elep is a reference to a group of some sort, then the number 500,000 would actually be 500 divisions (“500 divisions chosen men of Israel were slain”) The same applies to Abijah’s 400,000 men (400 divisions) and Jeroboam’s 800,000 men (800 divisions). This reduces the number of Israelites significantly. We find a similar example with the number of people that crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 12:36-38)
27 days ago Report Link
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Was watching one of Cliff's videos from Give me an answer. Someone asked how Jesus (who is God) pray to God. His answer was on the lines of God the Son becoming a human, enabling Him to pray to the Father

However, while this is is true, all three Persons of the Triune God "prayed" to each other before God the Son came to Earth. So its no as if Jesus only prayed to the Father when He walked the Earth. Instead, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit spoke and prayed to each other throughout their eternal existence (an eternal relationship that existed prior to the incarnation of the Son)
28 days ago Report Link
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Yes, I would agree with that. I'd say maybe Cliff meant that Jesus prayed to God as part of His humanity?
28 days ago Report
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Pope announces Catholic priests can administer blessings on same sex couples

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2CJMUSYz1H0


I've said before and I'll say it again. The catholic Church will have a gay pope before they ever have a female pope
28 days ago Report Link
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HydroMan
HydroMan: there is a Muslim that goes to the religion room and has a profile pic that says 'Muslims love Jesus'. This made me think, do Muslims love Jesus? I have sent an email about this topic. I think you will like it
1 month ago Report Link
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: It really depends on what is meant by "love".

They probably do think they love Jesus because of what they believe about Him, but, as you've pointed out, they don't believe everything He said.

I'd say there are other people in different walks of life who also say they love Jesus, turning to some things He said which they think are wonderful, others He said which they misinterpret, while ignoring certain other things which don't fit in with their assumptions.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Yes they might love Jesus in the sense that they love what He taught. But from what Islam teaches, they are meant to obey Jesus. However, according to Jesus, to obey Him is to love Him, which they obviously don't do. To put it another way, if a Muslim says to Jesus on Judgement Day, "I love you and obeyed you", I doubt He will agree.
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: I'm sure He won't.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: If a person continually ask God to forgive them for a particular sin, are they demonstrating a lack of faith? All our sins are forgiven, so if there is a sin we commit, and are overwhelmed by guilt to the point where we keep asking God all the time to forgive us of that one sin, then does it demonstrate a lack of trust in God because the person thinks they may not be forgiven?
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HydroMan
HydroMan: here is what i have come up with

Responding to Sin and God’s Forgiveness

(1) Lack of faith and unhealthy guilt
- Do not believe God will forgive them (continually confess a sin they committed in the past ask God to forgive them of that sin)
- Remain in a continual state of sadness, fear and lack of peace (unhealthy guilt)
- Continually condemn themselves for what they have done
- Burden themselves by focussing on the sin
- Continually seek forgiveness from the person they sinned against (refuse to move on regardless if the person forgives them or not)
- Possibly a false believer (false faith because they do not believe God has forgiven them—a God that shames and condemns them/wants them to be burdened with sadness and guilt until they confess their sin)

(2) Faith and healthy guilt
- Believe God forgave their sins on the cross (trust God forgave them and can be at peace)
- Are convicted by their sin
- Experience genuine, regret, remorse, and healthy level of guilt
- A desire to confess their sin to God and the person they sinned against
- A desire to fix the broken relationship of the person they sinned, but are able to move on regardless if the relationship is fixed
- Do not believe they need to repeatedly confess the same sin over and over again to God

(3) Abuse of faith and no guilt
- Take God’s grace (Jesus’ death on the cross) for granted
- No conviction, regret, guilt or remorse for their sin
- No desire to confess their sin to God or those they sinned against
- Lack of empathy toward the person they sinned against (don’t care how the person feels or how they treated the person)
- No interest or desire to fix the broken relationship of the person they sinned
- Possibly a false believer (false faith because they lack conviction and believe God must forgive them no matter what they do—a God that is at the mercy of the sinner)
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Several schools are being tested for asbestos. schools being tested include Allambie Heights Public School, International Grammar School in Ultimo, Mt Annan Christian College, North Sydney Public School, Penrith Christian School and Westmead Christian Grammar School.

My niece attends Mt Annan Christian College. She didn't go to school today because it was closed
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Yes, I saw that. Not very good, although at least they've had the sense to close the schools while things are sorted.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Did Jesus quarrel and get upset in public?

Matthew 12:19-20 says, “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT”. This is a prophecy and is quoted from Isaiah 42:2-3, “He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish”. It is a prophecy that suggests the Messiah will not quarrel, cry out (shout) raise His voice in public, or act violently/break and damage things (speak in a loud or aggressive manner that would gain negative attention, damage public property etc). However, there appear to be occasions when Jesus displayed physical and emotional outrage in public. For example, when people were using the Temple as a place of business, Jesus overturned the tables/seats, poured out the coins, and drove the people out with a scourge of cords (cleansing the Temple) So how do we explain this?

First, the prophecy relates to a specific and isolated event (“to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet” Matthew 12:17). It concerns the Pharisees and how they plotted to kill Jesus after He pointed out their legalistic views on working on the Sabbath (lack of compassion; Matthew 12:1-14). For instance, when the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus, He did not shout or quarrel against them so as to gain negative attention in the public. Instead, Jesus “withdrew from there” (Matthew 12:15). In other words, when the Pharisees conspired against Jesus, He made no opposition, but peacefully withdrew.

Second, in regards to the public display at the Temple, this was completely justified with righteous anger, as John 2:17 says, “Zeal [passion, energy] for Your House will consume Me”. Also, Jesus the Son of God and God’s representative on Earth. This means Jesus is within His right to condemn the corruption taking place within the temple. It also means Jesus has the right to use appropriate measures to judge and condemn the sin taking place within the temple (it is only natural to get angry when someone turns a house of worship into a marketplace for money and profit—no different than a person turning a war memorial into a casino) So when Jesus overturned the tables/seats and poured out the coins, it would the equivalent of someone overturning the tables/seats and poker chips in a war memorial because it is used as a casino
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HydroMan
HydroMan: hi
I sent an email "Jesus and subordination". If you get a chance to read it, let me know what you think, if it is accurate, or, dare i say, heresy
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Its been quite exhausting, spending 4-6 hours straight each day since last week. But its finally done, something I wanted to do for several years but didn't have the time
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Magnificent work, incredibly thorough. I want to ask what translation you used, assuming you just stuck to one?
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HydroMan
HydroMan: New American Standard Bible 1995 edition
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I sent an email "could the law save a person". Its only 2 short pages and I was hoping you might have the time to take a look at it and see if it is an accurate explanation on faith, salvation and the law
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Yes, it is entirely accurate.

The answer to "could the law save a person?" could be "yes" if anyone could obey the whole law, but since no-one has ever been able to do that (except Jesus Himself), then the law cannot save, it can only curse, which is why Christ came.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: well, it has taken 4 weeks, but it is finally done. I have completed a chronological order events of the OT starting from the Patriarchs and finishing with the return from captivity. I have sent it to you via email "OT Chronological order" if you want to check it out. Perhaps you might use it yourself one day in your own studies. Its 56 pages (I think) and categorized in a number of topics. It is based on what I read from my chronological Bible
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HydroMan
HydroMan: also, Im not sure if I sent this before, but I sent an email regarding the Messianic prophecies. It includes some of the arguments skeptics (including Jews) make (eg Daniel 9:26 is not referring to the Messiah, but a messiah/an anointed) Thank you again for taking such a sincere and genuine interest in what what I do and what God has given me
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HydroMan
HydroMan: Did you get a chance to see the photos of the chronological Bible i have? Is it a Bible that you have seen before?
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: No, I haven't seen them. Where did you upload them?
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HydroMan
HydroMan: hanks again for taking the time to read my posts and emails. I sent an email 'David's Mighty Men'. The 'contradictions' can easy be reconciled, as seen in the table I made. Its one of those subjects that tend to get ignored or seem to be irrelevant, but I like to address them anyway...even if it takes me 2 days to do
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HydroMan
HydroMan: In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21, we find that God (technically Satan) incites David to take a census. After the census is complete, David admits he had sinned

What I dont understand is, what was David's sin? It couldn't haven been the census itself because they were permitted (Exodus 30:12-16). So unless it was his intentions that were wrong, I dont know what he did wrong and I dont think the Bible tells us
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: Over the years, I've heard a couple of suggestions as to why what David did was a sin, and one is that he indeed had bad motivations, meaning he was thinking of all the power he had, and got caught up in it too much. Off hand, that's the only one I can think of, and the only one that makes any sort of sense.

Many, many years ago at the Baptist church I grew up at, I remember our Pastor at the time saying that he believed the census was a worse sin than David's adultery with Bathsheba and ultimate murder of her husband, because more people ended up dying because of the census. I can't remember anything else about that sermon, but, for some reason, it's always stuck with me and I've never been sure what to think about it.
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HydroMan
HydroMan: 1 Kings 15:5 says, “because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.” Although David did many bad things, this passage suggests that the adultery was the worst, so Im not sure I would agree with that pastor
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HydroMan
HydroMan: this is what Ive come up with

hydroman
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HydroMan
HydroMan: I got my Working With Children Check, so thats one step closer to trying to get a job in childcare
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TheDoctor394
TheDoctor394: That's good. I'm not sure how it works down here, but that has improved a lot in Queensland, where it used to be a matter of having to go to a GP to sign stuff and getting my employer to fill in forms, and then post it all. Now it's all done online, and is very straightforward.
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