“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
King James Version (KJV)
Dgjot's comment on 2022-07-16 09:40:33:
Thank You, Giannis.
bro dan's comment on 2022-07-16 08:43:51:
Hi bro Giannis,
I enjoyed your comments on this Holy Sabbath Day, and thanks for sharing!
I also observe many people in the world choosing to ignore Jesus Christ and His Gospel of the Kingdom. It is very sad to see the rejection, but it coincides with much of the scripture which tells us so many times that "few people will enter into God's Kingdom".
Matthew 22:14
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
Luke 13:23-24
"Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them," "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
Matthew 7:14
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
The emphasis coming directly from the mouth of Jesus saying "few there be that find it". If these bible verses don't move a Christian to "take notice" of themselves, nothing well.
Are we truly picking up our crosses and following Christ? Are we living our lives as part of this world? Jesus tells us that we can't do both!
Matthew 16:25
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
People need to take the bible to heart and NOT be lulled into thinking/believing they are (forever saved) while at the same time living their worldly lives.
Matthew 16:26
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
There are many false teachers, and preachers out there telling others that you can still live a worldly life and still have a "free ticket to heaven".
Any wonder why Jesus tells us over and over that FEW will be saved!
GB You
Giannis's comment on 2022-07-16 06:20:42:
Hellow Dgjot.
Only God knows what is in the heart of people, we cannot judge since many times we have been proved wrong.
When I actually believed in Jesus, God opened my eyes to see the truth, it was like there was a cover around me and somebody pulled that away and suddenly a bright light turned on and saw the world as it actually is, not how I thought it were, with a different perception. Although I knew all those things about faith and Jesus and eternal life and the Hebrew history from school, we get tought them in school over here, actually it was like we were learning some kind of mythology or ancient tales and stories, nothing really got inside our heart. We had a sort of vague belief about God. There are lots of people here that love Jesus Christ but they never heard of new birth, baptism in the Spirit, or they consider these were only in the early times, don't take place in the church any more. They worship saints and angels and Mary and many other things just because they were taught that this is the proper way to serve God. Many of them are born again but don't know it. Others think that they are OK since they don't steal, don't kill, as if only these are sins. Others especially the new generations follow the corruptive ways of the world because they think this is progressive now, Christianity is a past thing. If one tries to talk to them about Jesus the way they don't know, they reject him thinking that all those strange things coming from abroad are going to spoil their true(?) faith. I think its the same in all the southern Europe, Italy, Spain, southern France, Portugal, the Balkans etc. People love God but they are trapped in their traditions and denominations. In the North people are completely atheists. I once lived in England for a while and I was surpised that people never even mention God in no case. They don't know Jesus even as a story. How sad. People think they move forward but are moving toawards their distraction. God help us.
Blessed w/e.
Susan's comment on 2022-07-16 06:05:23:
I understand and I appreciate your honesty. You seem like a very dear soul and I respect and honor your beliefs. Thank you for your reply.
Susan's comment on 2022-07-16 05:22:03:
I know it's difficult to see. And perhaps more difficult to accept. But I was raised on the campus of a fundamentalist Christian university. We were required to memorize and hand write in cursive and sometimes calligraphy entire passages of scripture. The Mandela effects are plentiful in scripture. Research the twelve tribes of Israel. And, yes, it will show the changed text in every translation you can find. But you will find the original passage in books, like I did in John Eldridge's and Henri Nouwen's. The effects go beyond scripture. Do you recall the children's series "The Berensein Bears"? My sister married and had three children with someone whose name was almost identical to that and also ends in "stein." Of course I would remember that correctly as my two children do. But if you research it, you will be told that you are "misremembering" it if you disagree. That's what makes it so mysterious and unexplainable. Perhaps God is trying to get our attention to not make assumptions about everything we've been led to believe from the pulpit about The Bible. Perhaps God is disappointed with The Church, it's divisiveness and "othering." Perhaps it is God's subtle message to us to ultimately check our hearts for truth. To be still. To "go within" to find the Kingdom of Heaven. I can't speak for others, but for me, when I was an active member of my church, there was very little time for contemplation and inner work. And I believe that is why the pandemic was allowed. It forced us into solitude. Many have been awakened because of it. I'm only saying that it's always wise to keep an open mind in our search for truth. But Christianity is the only religion that I'm aware of where questioning is disallowed. Think of the implications of that. What other systems do you see that playing out in in the world? It's time for sober reflection and wisdom IMO. Thank you for your reply.
GiGi again's comment on 2022-07-15 21:14:54:
Susan, You ask why I don't think we can have a meaningful conversation on Scriptural matters and I stated if we do not agree that the Scriptures are accurate and without error.
If we cannot agree on an objective source of truth, then everything discussed would be considered subjective. There is no "plumb line" to test what each others says. I do not think that "everyone has their own truth".
I believe that, when it comes to spiritual matters, the Bible is the source of absolute truth and is reliably accurate and the measure for which all spiritual viewpoints are held up to. It doesn't seem that you believe this, so unless we can agree on what we accept as the fundamental and objective measure of truth, then I think it is unfruitful to engage in Scriptural conversations with another person.
Perhaps there are some others on this forum who would want to engage with you, but I have a check in my Spirit on this matter and so will go with the lead of the Holy Spirit. I wish you well. I encourage you to seek the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and take hold of Him by faith.
Adam's comment on 2022-07-15 20:23:03:
Hi Susan,
Just noticed your reply. The Bible is correct. It never said the hearsay of "2 or more" as you believe. People's memories are subject to error and often people memorize hearsay which is wrong to begin with. Just because something was repeated many times during someone's upbringing doesn't mean it's correct. There are other examples of this where people have misremembered verses in the Bible. Example is people saying "Money is root of all evil" instead of "Love of money..." People may hear it in songs or movies, but doesn't mean its correct. What's interesting is people are more trusting of their own flawed teachings than the Bible itself. People are so quick to discredit God's Word and that's hard to see.
There is proof that the Bible has never changed- all someone has to do to prove the KJV hasn't changed is compare the text today to what it was 400+ years ago at its first printing. That is actually on this website and I checked and that verse hasn't changed. It's always said 2 or 3 and never 2 or more. It also shows many other translations which say the same thing. God's truth never changes; people's flawed memories and flawed hearsay does. But one aspect I do agree with is that this is a living Word, that God can reveal new things to us each time we read it through. His Word hasn't changed though and any time someone tries to attack its reputation or claim it has errors I will fight to defend God's word. God bless.
Susan's comment on 2022-07-15 19:20:09:
Can I respectfully ask why? I hope you are able to hear the sincerity in my reply. That is the reason that it's so important.
An example would be the current narrative surrounding the pandemic. There are many insightful physicians and scientists with differing perspectives. But those with perspectives that don't fit within the popular and allowed narrative, regardless of their peer reviewed research, are censored and worse. If we cannot have discourse about religion because the "other" disagrees with our views, we cannot grow.
GiGi again's comment on 2022-07-15 15:51:50:
Susan
I do understand and I am not offended. I just don't think we can have a meaningful conversation about Scriptural matters if you do not believe it is accurate and God inspired.
Susan's comment on 2022-07-15 12:47:46:
GiGi I truly did not mean to offend. I was raised on the campus of a fundamentalist Christian university and believed exactly everything that I was told. I taught it to my children as well. During a particularly dark season of my life, I began to question my faith. Those questions led to deep dives that eventually led me to appreciate the religion of my childhood. But to ultimately recognize that I could no longer believe what I was taught. The work of Delores Cannon, Neville Goddard, Eckhart Tolle and many others resonated too much to be ignored. I think it's very important that all faiths encourage spending much time in quiet stillness, nature and meditation. Going within. That's why Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is within. But I greatly respect others beliefs. I hope that we can have deep, honest and respectful discourse because so much depends on it right now. On almost every subject. Thank you for your reply. And I hope you understand.
GiGi again's comment on 2022-07-15 12:11:52:
Dear Susan,
It seems that we are miles apart as to the inerrancy of Scripture and it being irrevocably inspired by God. Therefore we cannot
have a conversation concerning spiritual matters concerning Jesus and salvation when one party does not believe that the
Scriptures are inerrant and irrevocably inspired by God. this view inevitably leads to one choosing which Bible passages they will
accept as truth and what they will reject as truth according to their own individual criteria, life experience, and subjective
knowledge. I do not follow that viewpoint that you express, so I am exiting this thread.
Susan's comment on 2022-07-15 05:29:11:
However, that is going on the assumption that Scripture has never been translated or altered by human beings. And we know, for instance, that several testaments were suppressed including the Gospel of Thomas and The Gospel of Mary, among others. The Dead Sea Scrolls cannot be ignored in this discussion. So we've been told our entire lives that the Scripture is literally THE word of God. I would say that it is man's translation of events that occurred. It's a history book. And history has changed many times over the centuries. We can see it playing out in our own world right now. Everything is politically driven to control the masses. And religion is a very powerful mode of control. Many people believe that that's why these Mandela effects are occurring. To awaken us to the fact that we have been deceived. Jesus was trying to remind us who we are. Which is why he could perform miracles and said that we could do the same. He had to speak in parables because of the threat of censorship and worse. His very life. People worshipped him even though he didn't want them to. It's much like any well known spiritual teacher today. Or a pastor. Or political leader. People can do radical things when they pedestalize someone. Jesus tried to warn against that.
GiGi's comment on 2022-07-14 19:50:59:
Dear Susan, God bless you tonight.
In reading your post, you said that what everything that is living changes. However, God is ever-living and the Bible clearly says that He is changeless (immutable), the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, eternally so. Just wanted to clarify that.
Dgjot's comment on 2022-07-14 16:26:06:
Thank You, Chris.
8152757794's comment on 2022-07-14 11:36:20:
Wow, where to begin? Space would not allow me to answer all your questions. First of all, always keep in mind that what Jesus suffered on the Cross was for everything that would happen to us. He took our suffering and shame upon His self. All your answers are in the Cross. Take all your burdens to the Lord and lay them at His feet. Only Jesus can give you His Peace and the understanding to carry you through it all. Read the Bible daily! Honestly, I think you should order a Expositor Study Bible from Jimmy Swaggart Ministry. That Bible will truly open up to you all the Truths. Jesus said, " I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me". ( John 14:6) Another scripture is (Hebrew 13:5-6) " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do". (Psa.34:19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Tell your friend to read Proverbs 3:16 and stand upon Gods Word. Trust and believe for He is the healer of all our suffering's. Jesus did it all at Calvary. We are to lean upon Him and His Living Word, the Bible. Amen.
Dgjot's comment on 2022-07-14 06:23:17:
Thank You, Richard.
Dgjot's comment on 2022-07-14 06:22:57:
Thank You, Suze.
Dgjot's comment on 2022-07-14 06:22:12:
Thank You, Chris. I guess I'm just confessing my sins to all you good people because that is what we are told to do.
James 5:16
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Chris's comment on 2022-07-14 00:37:18:
Page 2.
On Romans 2:11 onwards. The apostle is writing about God not showing respect (or, partiality) between Jews & Gentiles. Those who have sinned without having the Law (i.e. Gentiles), will perish not having received the Law (God's Laws to Israel). Likewise, those sinning having the Law (i.e. Jews) will be judged by that Law (& of course, they will fail, for the Law made no one righteous, but only showed their sinfulness). Only the doers of the Law will be justified. So, what Law(s) can be kept perfectly to justify us before God? None, for all have sinned - & the Law only revealed the sin & extent of that sinful condition to the Jew.
Only faith in Jesus can save both Jew & Gentile. Those who keep God's Laws acceptably, are those who have the Holy Spirit & who are living out their lives through Him & by His Power (Romans 8:1; Galatians 5:25). Both Jew & Gentile who are saved through Christ, are no longer bound to the Law that only brought death, but live in the power & joy of the Holy Spirit, Who helps us live beyond the Letter of the Law, living according to the dictates of the Spirit.
Lastly, one can never do enough for the Lord. How much is ever enough? But, if you're a praying person wanting to use the opportunities God lays upon your heart or directs you to, then every place you go to & every person you meet, may be what the Lord wants for you to share something of His Goodness. Any sense of cowardice will disappear - for the Lord will be your strength (2 Timothy 1:7) & your mouth - remembering your witness & life will be the catalyst for someone to become serious about his eternal well-being. You may be God's man for God's special moment in another person's life.
Chris's comment on 2022-07-14 00:29:58:
Page 1.
Hi Dgjot. I'll just share on a few matters you raised.
On forgiveness & forgetting. I see 'forgiveness' as a matter of the heart, when one who has been unjustifiably hurt seeks to no longer hold that person accountable for the pain they've caused. The pain will still be there - only the Lord & time can bring healing, but to forgive someone simply means that you won't raise that painful matter again as your heart won't harbour hatred or grudge against another for doing that. To 'forget' the pain given, in most cases, won't ever leave, as that is a part of life's experiences that we retain. Some things we easily forget, especially those of a minor insignificant nature, but some things, even from childhood will always remain - & unfortunately, some of these will be painful & affect us even into adult years.
How does God forgive us? Does He even forget that we sinned against Him? We know that God's Forgiveness comes to us because His Son voluntarily took our punishment, paying for our sins that we could never ever pay for. But does God forget? If He did, then God wouldn't be Omniscient, as He knows & remembers all things that ever happened to us. But what God does do, is that our sins are cast aside, forgiven, & never held to our account, only because of Jesus' Sacrifice (remember Acts 7:59,60, when Stephen, as he was dying, asked God to not lay the sin of his murderers to their charge - in other other words, 'Lord forgive them', or 'don't charge them with this sin'. Peter forgave them & wanted God to also forgive them).
We might be cautious or even remain aloof from someone who has hurt us, but that doesn't mean that we haven't forgiven them, i.e. not holding anger, hatred or grudges. In John 2:23-25, we read that Jesus saw how many believed in Him by the miracles He did - yet, Jesus did not commit (or, entrust, have faith in) them, because He knew what they were like. But He still loved all of them & would always forgive.