| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"You Think" |
| Date: |
10 Jul 2007 07:32:04 AM |
| Object: |
Today is July 10, 2007 |
Today is July 10, 2007
Verse of the Day -- Colossians 3:12
.. . . those who have been chosen of God . . . put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Thought for the Day
Five things to aspire to in order to be more Christ-like.
"For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29
Someone has said, "If you are looking for a leader to follow, find
someone with a limp." The wounded in life are those who have learned
difficult lessons through suffering. Do not resist the Shepherd's rod of
correction. Is the wounding painful? Indeed. Does it seem that you will
not be able to bear it? Most certainly. Then, why would He subject you
to such pain? Because you have a Father who loves you so much that He
is willing to hurt you to heal you. What you need to focus on is not your
pain, but your Savior. God didn't save you to take you to heaven. That's
a fringe benefit. God saved you to make you holy - as He is holy.
Mini Bible Study for the Day
If someone within your sphere of influence sees Jesus in your life, it's
probably because they see one or more of the above characteristics. Of
course, they are not suggestions, but rather a command to allow the Holy
Spirit to work in you in these areas. Unfortunately, these traits seem rare
in Christians today.
The best way to begin work on growing in those wonderful five
characteristics is to start with the foundational trait for Christians--Love.
I John 4:21 ". . . the one who loves God should love his brother."
Without love, all else fails (I Cor. 13).
Question for the Day
I have been struggling with exactly what IS faith? Lately, I have been
convicted that my wife should not be working. I believe God would want
her to be home as we have a 13 year-old son. Unfortunately, we are
living off both my wife's and my income. If she were to quit, I couldn't
pay my bills each month. Do I not have faith?
Answer:
Faith is basically trusting God's word over everything else. Heb. 11:1
"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen."
One way to get a clearer picture of God's will is to take "money" out of
the equation and concentrate only on Biblical principles. Too many
Christians are making decisions based solely on money, and not on God's
best.
As far as your wife working, you're going to have to fill the hole the same
way you dug it--one shovel-full at a time. So, prayerfully choose and
consult Godly men (Prov. 11:14 & Prov. 15:22), make a plan and
commit it to the Lord (Prov. 16:3), be patient (Ps. 37:7), and trust God
to guide your steps (Prov. 16:9).
.
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| User: "Cary Kittrell" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 01:47:52 PM |
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In article <12sjq2.g0o.19.1@news.alt.net> "You Think" <ut_ab02@yahoo.uk> writes:
Today is July 10, 2007
Verse of the Day -- Colossians 3:12
. . . those who have been chosen of God . . . put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Excellent idea! First rate!
You go first.
-- cary
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| User: "*nemo*" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 06:35:51 PM |
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In article <12sjq2.g0o.19.1@news.alt.net>,
"You Think" <ut_ab02@yahoo.uk> wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Just what we needed -- an annoyance a day calendar.
*****, you lying sack of *****.
--
Nemo - EAC Commissioner for Bible Belt Underwater Operations.
Atheist #1331 (the Palindrome of doom!)
BAAWA Knight! - One of those warm Southern Knights, y'all!
Charter member, SMASH!!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jehdjh/Relpg.html
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Quotemeister since March 2002
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| User: "You Think" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 07:20:53 PM |
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"*nemo*" <nemo0037@earthlink.dieSPAM.net> wrote in message news:nemo0037-0B2F36.19355110072007@news.west.earthlink.net...
*****, you lying sack of *****. <== Representative of a mature adult atheist.
Nemo - EAC Commissioner for Bible Belt Underwater Operations.
Atheist #1331 (the Palindrome of doom!)
BAAWA Knight! - One of those warm Southern Knights, y'all!
Charter member, SMASH!!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jehdjh/Relpg.html
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Quotemeister since March 2002
Try a little of this "quotemeister", "*nemo*".
[Sounds like a kids game that adult atheists play.]
The excellence of Love is good for any day of the week. (]}-; <>< :-{[)
.. The Excellence of Love
(1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NASB)
1 If I speak with the ?a?tongues of men and of ?b?angels, but do
not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ?c?clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of ?a?prophecy, and know all ?b?mysteries
and all ?c?knowledge; and if I have ?d?all faith, so as to ?e?remove
mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I ?a?give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I
?b?surrender my body ?1?to be burned, but do not have love, it
profits me nothing.
4 Love ?a?is patient, love is kind and ?b?is not jealous; love
does not brag and is not ?c?arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it ?a?does not seek its own, is not
provoked, ?b?does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 ?a?does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ?b?rejoices with
the truth;
7 ?1??a?bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ?1??a?prophecy,
they will be done away; if there are ?b?tongues, they will cease; if
there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9 For we ?a?know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a
child, reason like a child; when I ?1?became a man, I did away with
childish things.
12 For now we ?a?see in a mirror ?1?dimly, but then ?b?face to
face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also
?c?have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the
?1?greatest of these is ?a?love.
[1]
13:1 Even if a person could speak in all languages, human and angelic, but
didn't use this ability for the good of others, it would be no more
profitable or pleasant than the clanging, jangling sound of metals
crashing against each other. Where the spoken word is not understood,
there is no profit. It is just a nerve-racking din contributing nothing to
the common good. For tongues to be beneficial, they must be interpreted.
Even then, what is said must be edifying. The tongues of angels may be
figurative for exalted speech, but it does not mean an unknown language,
because whenever angels spoke to men in the Bible, it was in the common
speech, easily understood.
13:2 Likewise one might receive marvelous revelations from God. He might
understand the great mysteries of God, tremendous truths hitherto
unrevealed but now made known to him. He might receive a great inflow of
divine knowledge, supernaturally imparted. He might be given that heroic
faith which is able to remove mountains. Yet if these wonderful gifts are
used only for his own benefit and not for the edifying of other members of
the Body of Christ, they are of no value, and the holder is nothing, that
is, he is of no help to others.
13:3 If the apostle gave all his goods to feed the poor, or even gave his
body to be burned, these valiant acts would not profit him unless they
were done in a spirit of love. If he were merely trying to attract
attention to himself and seek a name for himself, then his display of
virtue would be valueless.
13:4 Someone has said: "This did not start out to be a treatise on love,
but like most literary gems of the ?NT?, it was introduced in connection
with some local situation." Hodge has pointed out that the Corinthians
were impatient, discontented, envious, inflated, selfish, indecorous,
unmindful of the feelings and interests of others, suspicious, resentful,
and censorious.
And so the apostle now contrasts the characteristics of true love. First
of all, love suffers long and is kind. Long suffering is patient endurance
under provocation. Kindness is active goodness, going forth in the
interests of others. Love does not envy others; rather it is pleased that
others should be honored and exalted. Love does not parade itself, is not
puffed up. It realizes that whatever it has is the gift of God, and that
there is nothing in man of which to be proud. Even gifts of the Holy
Spirit are sovereignly bestowed by God and should not make a person proud
or haughty, no matter how spectacular the gift might be.
13:5 Love does not behave rudely. If a person is truly acting in love, he
will be courteous and considerate. Love does not selfishly seek its own,
but is interested in what will assist others. Love is not provoked, but is
willing to endure slights and insults. Love thinks no evil, that is, it
does not attribute bad motives to others. It does not suspect their
actions. It is guileless.
13:6 Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. There
is a certain mean streak in human nature which takes pleasure in what is
unrighteous, especially if an unrighteous act seems to benefit one's self.
This is not the spirit of love. Love rejoices with every triumph of the
truth.
13:7 The expression bears all things may mean that love patiently endures
all things, or that it hides or conceals the faults of others. The word
bears may also be translated "covers." Love does not needlessly publicize
the failures of others, though it must be firm in giving godly discipline
when necessary.
Love believes all things, that is, it tries to put the best possible
construction on actions and events. Love hopes all things in the sense
that it earnestly desires that all things work out for the best. Love
endures all things in the way of persecution or ill treatment.
13:8 Having described the qualities that characterize those who exercise
their gift in love, the apostle now takes up the permanence of love, as
contrasted with the temporary character of gifts. Love never fails.
Throughout eternity, love will go on in the sense that we will still love
the Lord and love one another. These gifts, on the other hand, are of
temporary duration.
[2]
And love is the greatest of the graces because it is most useful to
others. It is not self-centered but others-centered.
Now before leaving this chapter, there are a few observations to be made.
As mentioned above, a widely accepted interpretation of verses 8-12 is
that they contrast conditions in this life with those in the eternal
state.
But many devout Christians hold to the COMPLETED CANON view, believing
that the purpose of the sign gifts was to confirm the preaching of the
apostles before the word of God was given in final written form, and that
the need for these miracle gifts passed when the ?NT? was completed. While
this second view merits serious consideration, it can hardly be proved
decisively. Even if we believe that the sign gifts largely passed away at
the end of the apostolic era, we cannot say with finality that God could
not, if He wished, use these gifts today. Whichever view we hold, the
abiding lesson is that while the gifts of the Spirit are partial and
temporary, the fruit of the Spirit is eternal and is more excellent. If we
practice love, it will save us from the misuse of gifts and from the
strife and divisions that have arisen as a result of their abuse.
[3]
Suppose, living centuries ago in Israel, you journey to Jerusalem in order
to worship in the temple..
Upon your arrival, you ask the whereabouts of the high priest and are told
he's ministering in the holy place-the area in the temple containing the
golden candlestick, table of showbread, and the ark of the covenant.
"How do you know he's in there?" you ask.
"Listen carefully," you're told.
As you do, you hear the unmistakable sound of bells ringing inside the
holy place. The Book of Exodus tells us that golden bells hung from the
hem of the high priest's robe. We know from Alfred Edersheim and other
Bible scholars that these bells were made in such a way that they rang in
harmony.
When we talk about our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, people sometimes
ask how we know He's alive, how we know He's truly in heaven interceding
on our behalf. We should be able to say to them, "Listen carefully, and
you will hear the harmonious ringing of the bells as He works through His
body, the church."
The golden bells in biblical typology are a picture of the manifestations,
the gifts of the Spirit. As people see the working of the Holy Spirit
through words of wisdom, knowledge, and prophecy; through gifts of
healing, faith and miracles; through tongues and interpretation-as they
begin to see the reality of the Spirit of Jesus sounding forth through His
body, they will know that He is indeed alive.
You see, according to Exodus 39:25, between each of the bells on the high
priest's robe was a pomegranate-a fruit uniquely related to the Promised
Land..
When the spies returned from the Promised Land, they came carrying grapes
and pomegranates as a sign of the land's productivity (Numbers 13:23).
In the Song of Solomon, the pomegranate speaks of peace and certainty,
beauty and romance (4:3; 6:7).
Joel refers to the pomegranate in connection with joy (Joel 1:12).
The New Testament equivalent is the fruit of the Spirit, which is
love-defined as joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, and self-control.
Without the pomegranate between the bells on the robe of the high priest,
there would be nothing but clanging. This was the case in the church at
Corinth. Although Paul says they possessed every gift of the Spirit, they
lacked the fruit of the Spirit. This led to all kinds of noise,
irritation, and confusion.
This is why, between his discussion of the manifestation of the gifts of
the Spirit in chapters 12 and 14, here in chapter 13, Paul inserts a
pomegranate-the fruit of love..
1 Corinthians 13:1 (a)
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels.
The word "tongues" may refer to human dialects or to an angelic language
not known on earth.
1 Corinthians 13:1 (b)
..and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal.
Without love, whatever I say is just noise. The word "charity" appears
here rather than the word "love" because the Greek word agape was
translated charitas in the Latin Vulgate, the first translation of the
original Greek manuscripts. John Wycliffe, the man responsible for
translating the Latin Vulgate into English, used a similar-sounding
English word for charitas when he used "charity"-a word that spoke of
giving simply for the sake of giving. Unfortunately, in our day, charity
has come to be associated with pity. So modern translators have rightly
chosen the word "love" rather than the maligned "charity." Yet, even the
word "love" is not without its problems.
I love my wife. I love my kids. I love Big Macs. I love walks in the park
on summer evenings. We use the word "love" so freely that we diminish its
meaning. The Greeks circumvented this problem by using four words for
love..
.. Storgi means affection. Storgi is the kind of love one feels toward
his cat or dog.
.. Eros refers to sexual, physical love.
.. Phileo, from which we get the name "Philadelphia," speaks of
brotherly love. Phileo says, "If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you."
It wasn't until the New Testament apostles introduced the concept of
unconditional love that the Greeks added agape to their vocabulary. Agape
is a love that gives simply for the sake of giving, never expecting
anything in return. People who don't know the Lord can experience all of
the other kinds of love. But for them, agape is impossible because it is
found only in God. Agape is the love of which Paul speaks when he says,
"If I don't have love, I'm just making noise even if I speak in tongues
fluently."
In the year 1647, during England's Civil War, a deserter in Cromwell's
army was captured and brought before him.
"When the curfew bell sounds tonight, you shall be executed," said the
general.
But that night, the curfew bell was not heard. Upon investigation, it was
discovered that, receiving news of her fianci's sentence, his betrothed
made her way quickly to the camp and hid in the bell tower. As curfew
neared, she positioned herself within the bell in such a way that when the
rope was pulled, the clapper hit her body rather than the inside of the
bell. Seeing the bruised and battered lady standing before him, Cromwell
was so deeply touched by her love that the soldier's life was spared.
Jesus Christ climbed not a bell tower, but the hill of Calvary in order
that you and I would be spared the execution we so rightfully deserve.
Whether the word is charity, love, or agape, the love Jesus showed us, the
love we are to extend to one another is spelled one way:
S-a-c-r-i-f-i-c-e.
1 Corinthians 13:2
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Jesus said faith only the size of a mustard seed could move mountains
(Matthew 17:20). But Paul says even though one has all faith-the fullest
possible expression of faith-if it is without love, it doesn't amount to a
hill of beans.
Paul would tell the Galatians that faith works by love (Galatians 5:6).
God can only entrust true faith to the one able to love, for the power of
faith would be dangerous in the hands of one who doesn't love (Luke 9:54).
1 Corinthians 13:3
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Even if a person were so zealous that he burned out for Jesus, his zeal
would mean nothing without love. Following Paul's admonition to love in
verses 1-3 is a definition of love in verses 4-13..
1 Corinthians 13:4 (a)
Charity suffereth long.
"Lord, how often should I forgive someone who offends me? Seven times?"
Peter asked, perhaps thinking Jesus would be impressed with his growth.
"You're to forgive seven times seventy," Jesus answered (see Matthew
18:22). In other words, "You're to keep forgiving until you lose track of
how many times someone has offended you."
Love never says, "I've had enough." It suffers indefinitely.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (b)
..and is kind.
Love not only suffers long, but it is kind. I believe we would do well to
examine well-meaning activism through the lens of agape. Is what we're
doing in the name of righteousness kind? Love is long-suffering-yet while
it's suffering, it doesn't become cynical or bitter. It remains kind.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (c)
..charity envieth not.
Love never asks why another is exalted or promoted.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (d)
..charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.
Love doesn't try to prove itself. It doesn't say, "Watch how loving I can
be." Rather, it works behind the scenes.
For topical study of 1 Corinthians 13:4 entitled "A Deeper Look," turn to
page 1078.
1 Corinthians 13:5 (a)
Doth not behave itself unseemly.
Some people confuse weirdness with love. Some people say, "I'm going to
demonstrate my love for Jesus with a megaphone and a sandwich board. Sure,
people might think I'm weird, but it's because I'm so radical in my love
for God."
Concerning Jesus, Isaiah prophesied and Matthew confirmed that He did not
strive or cry in the streets (Isaiah 42:2; Matthew 12:19). In fact, so
unrecognizable was Jesus that He had to be identified to the soldiers who
came to arrest Him (Luke 22:48).
Sometimes people put pressure on us to cry in the streets, to take a
stand. But I look at Jesus and see that He exuded such love, warmth, and
integrity that people flocked to Him. Mark tells us the common people
heard Him gladly (12:37). It was the religious folks who had problems with
Him. I wonder if that hasn't been reversed far too often in our day-to the
point where religious people understand us, but common people want nothing
to do with us because they think we're bizarre. Because love doesn't
behave unseemly, this ought not be.
1 Corinthians 13:5 (b)
..seeketh not her own.
Love doesn't demand its own way.
1 Corinthians 13:5 (c)
..is not easily provoked.
Although it is not italicized, the word "easily" does not appear in any of
the Greek manuscripts. Thus, love is simply not provoked. Phileo, eros,
storgi can become irritated, aggravated, provoked. But not agape.
1 Corinthians 13:5 (d)
..thinketh no evil.
Newer translations render this "is not suspicious." True love trusts. When
I think I can't trust him, or that I've got to keep my eye on her, it's
because I no longer believe that God is on the throne, able to deal with
the situation. All things are naked and open before Him with whom we deal
(Hebrews 4:13). In addition, God chastens and corrects those He loves
(Hebrews 12:6). Therefore, agape love doesn't think evil of people because
it has absolute trust in the faithfulness of the Father.
1 Corinthians 13:6 (a)
Rejoiceth not in iniquity.
True love does not rejoice when trouble or problems befall another-even if
they're a result of his own stupidity or iniquity.
1 Corinthians 13:6 (b)
..but rejoiceth in the truth.
Some translators render "truth" as "good." In other words, love says to
another, "You're lifted up? You're being honored? Great! I'm delighted for
you!" Love rejoices when the other guy does well, when the other guy is
blessed.
1 Corinthians 13:7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.
If you are one who bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, and endures all things, people will accuse you of being blind to
certain situations. But they will be wrong. Agape love is not blind. Quite
the opposite. Because love sees more, it's willing to see less.
What does love see? It sees the price that was paid on the Cross of
Calvary for the person or situation that threatens to make us mad or
bitter. The older I get, the more clearly I see the work of the Cross. I
see the reality of the Holy Spirit's power to convict people. I see the
promise of the Father-that in due season, if they choose not to listen to
the Word and respond to the Spirit, their sin will track them down
(Numbers 32:23).
Therefore, rather than feeling I have to solve every problem and deal with
every situation, I can simply bear with, believe in, and hope the best for
people because of the commitment Jesus made to them when He died for them.
How can we exhibit this kind of love? The only way is to let Jesus Christ
live it through us, for He is the embodiment of these characteristics. We
can't psyche ourselves into this, gang. This kind of love is nothing less
than the fruit of the Spirit. But as I walk with the Lord, talk to the
Lord, and learn about the Lord, His Spirit produces this character in me
ever so slowly, but ever so surely.
"If you abide in Me," Jesus said, "you shall bring forth much fruit" (see
John 15:5). What fruit? Love. He told us we're branches, and that He is
the Vine. What do branches do? Just hang in there, close to the vine.
Therefore, as I stay connected to the Vine by getting to know Him and
enjoying Him, the fruit will come of its own.
Fruit comes when you continue doing just what you're doing now-spending
time with Him, hanging in there week after week, month after month, year
after year. Slowly, but surely, as you stay connected to Jesus, more and
more of His agape love will seep through you. You watch; you wait; you'll
see.
1 Corinthians 13:8
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away.
Prophecy, tongues, words of knowledge will one day all vanish. Why? In
heaven there will be no need for prophecy-words of edification,
exhortation, or comfort-because everyone will be perfectly comforted and
edified in heaven and will no longer need to be exhorted. Unknown tongues
will vanish because everything will be known in heaven. And words of
knowledge will be swallowed up in the perfect knowledge we'll have when we
see Jesus (verse 12).
1 Corinthians 13:9, 10
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Debate continues over the meaning of "that which is perfect." Some say
"that which is perfect" refers to the Bible. They say the canonization of
the New Testament negated the need for prophecy, words of knowledge, and
words of wisdom, since everything man needed to know could be found in
Scripture.
Yet, I find it interesting that this interpretation-so common in our
time-was not suggested by a single commentator until shortly after
1906-the year of the Azusa Street Revival wherein an outpouring of the
Holy Spirit took place that spread across the country and ultimately
around the world. Those in the body of Christ who were threatened by this
revival used this text to say, "Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will
vanish when that which is perfect is come. The Bible is that which is
perfect. Therefore, there is no need for these manifestations anymore."
The problem is, not only is this a relatively new interpretation of this
passage, but it violates the context. Paul is not talking about the Bible.
He's talking about seeing Jesus face-to-face. It will be when Jesus comes
again that there will be no need for prophecy, tongues, or interpretation.
So it is my strong opinion that "that which is perfect" refers to the
perfect One-Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:11, 12 (a)
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now
we see through a glass, darkly.
Mirrors as we know them did not exist until the mid-1200s. Prior to that
time, polished brass or ordinary glass was used to see one's image-albeit
only dimly, or "darkly." Thus, Paul says that although we see things
spiritually, we don't see them clearly. We still have lots of questions.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (b)
..but then face to face.
When we see Jesus, we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2). At that point, we
will see clearly at last.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (c)
..now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Jesus knows every detail of my life-even to the number of hairs on my
head. And when I see Him, I'll know Him in the same way.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (a)
And now abideth faith.
Faith looks back. Faith tells me Jesus came. Faith allows me to embrace
what Jesus did for me on the Cross. Faith reminds me that my sins are
forgiven. Therefore, I don't have to worry about or be haunted by my past.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (b)
..hope.
Hope looks ahead. Hope tells me Jesus is coming. Hope reminds me I don't
have to be upset or uptight about the future.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (c)
..charity.
Love looks around. Love tells me Jesus is here. Love frees me in the
present.
Many believers have a "mattress spirituality." That is, knowing their sins
are forgiven, they have no question about their past. Knowing they're
going to heaven, they have no question about their future. It's the
present that presents problems. Like a mattress, they're firm on both
ends, but they sag in the middle.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (d)
..these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
As essential as faith and hope are, Paul singles out love as the greatest
virtue because it is only through love that we are able to respond to God
and to others presently.
You see, the person who lacks faith will not be able to love in the
present because he will be paralyzed by the hurts and sins of his past. On
the other hand, the person who lacks hope will not be able to love in the
present because he will be too worried about his retirement account in the
future. Only the person who has put his past behind him through the power
of the Cross, only the person who looks forward to the future through the
promise of heaven can truly love in the present.
[4]
.. A DEEPER LOOK
.. A Topical Study of
.. 1 Corinthians 13:4
The description of agape seen in 1 Corinthians 13 is glorious indeed. But,
to the believer, this passage can be very frustrating as well. You see, in
1 Corinthians 13, we read that love is longsuffering and kind, that it
neither envies nor seeks its own, that it bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, and endures all things, that it never fails.
"What a beautiful description of love," we say with one breath, but, "too
bad I'm so far from it," with the next.
Today, however, I want you to look at the chapter before us from a
slightly different perspective. The apostle John tells us that God is
love-literally that God is agape (1 John 4:16). Paul tells us that this
Fountainhead of agape, the Essence of love, God Himself demonstrated His
love for us in that while we were yet sinners He died in place of us
(Romans 5:8). Seen in this light, 1 Corinthians 13 becomes not only an
exhortation to love others, but, more importantly, a description of God's
love for us..
Love suffereth long. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (a)
God suffers long. He suffers long toward me. Think of Jesus on the Cross.
As men cursed Him and spit on Him, what did He do? He suffered long. He
said, "Father forgive them. They don't know what they're doing" (see Luke
23:34). My tendency is to think I've blown it so badly that surely God has
given up on me. But the Cross shows me otherwise.
..and is kind. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (b)
If you think God is vengeful, angry, and mean-spirited, you have the wrong
image of God. So kind, so gentle, so big-hearted is He that He does more
for us than we could ever ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20).
The psalmist tells us that the Lord will withhold no good thing from those
that love Him (Psalm 84:11). Therefore, if I'm not getting something for
which I'm asking, it's because what I'm asking for would not be good for
me. If the timing isn't right, if the request is wrong, He'll withhold it
not because He's mean, but because He is love.
..love envieth not. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (c)
Bound together in the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit are completely
self-sufficient and totally happy. God says, "I want to walk with you;
I'll never give up on you; I avail Myself to you-but I'm not dependent on
you." God's love is mature.
..love vaunteth not itself. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (d)
God doesn't have to hype Himself. What He says, He does. Who He claims to
be, He really is.
..is not puffed up. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (e)
God doesn't say, "I'm God and you're dust." No, He came to dwell among us,
to walk with us, to die for us. And He's the same today. He's always
available to me, always ready to hear my prayers, always ready to share
with me truths from His Word.
When I read 1 Corinthians 13 in this light, what does it do?
The apostle John tells us exactly what it does when he literally says, "We
love because He first loved us" (see 1 John 4:19). The person who
understands that 1 Corinthians 13 is most fundamentally talking about the
nature and character of God's love toward him personally will be one who
inevitably overflows with love to the people around him.
We looked at only one verse in Paul's perfectly placed pomegranate of
love. As you make your way through the rest of the chapter, you will see
God's love for you in every verse. Marvel at it. Bask in it. Then let it
overflow from your life to everyone around you.
[5]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
a 1 Cor 12:10
b 2 Cor 12:4; Rev 14:2
c Ps 150:5
a Matt 7:22; Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 11:4; 13:8; 14:1, 39
b 1 Cor 14:2; 15:51
c Rom 15:14
d 1 Cor 12:9
e Matt 17:20; 21:21; Mark 11:23
a Matt 6:2
b Dan 3:28
1 Early mss read that I may boast
a Prov 10:12; 17:9; 1 Thess 5:14; 1 Pet 4:8
b Acts 7:9
c 1 Cor 4:6
a 1 Cor 10:24; Phil 2:21
b 2 Cor 5:19
a 2 Thess 2:12
b 2 John 4; 3 John 3f
1 Or covers
a 1 Cor 9:12
1 Lit prophecies
a 1 Cor 13:2
b 1 Cor 13:1
a 1 Cor 8:2; 13:12
1 Lit have become...have done away with
a 2 Cor 5:7; Phil 3:12; James 1:23
1 Lit in a riddle
b Gen 32:30; Num 12:8; 1 John 3:2
c 1 Cor 8:3
1 Lit greater
a Gal 5:6
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (1 Co 13:1-13).
LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
NT New Testament
[2]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary
: Old and New Testaments (1 Co 13:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
NT New Testament
[3]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary
: Old and New Testaments (1 Co 13:8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[4]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1074).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[5]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1078).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
-- +Sig+
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.
|
|
|
| User: "Jos Flachs" |
|
| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 08:18:25 PM |
|
|
On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:20:53 -0400, "You Think" <ut_ab02@yahoo.uk>
wrote:
The excellence of Love is good for any day of the week.
That's what you think. Prostelizing is not allowed. Plonk.
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "You Think" |
|
| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 07:54:41 PM |
|
|
"*nemo*" <nemo0037@earthlink.dieSPAM.net> wrote in message news:nemo0037-0B2F36.19355110072007@news.west.earthlink.net...
Today is July 10, 2007
*****, you lying sack of *****. <== All atheists use the same playbook of smut.
Nemo - EAC Commissioner for Bible Belt Underwater Operations.
Atheist #1331 (the Palindrome of doom!)
BAAWA Knight! - One of those warm Southern Knights, y'all!
Charter member, SMASH!!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jehdjh/Relpg.html
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Quotemeister since March 2002
.. Faith
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen." (Hebrews 11:1) It is synonymous with trust. It is a divine gift
(Romans 12:3) and comes by hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
It is the means by which the grace of God is accounted to the believer who
trusts in the work of Jesus on the cross. (Ephesians 2:8) Without faith it is
impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) It is by faith that we live our
lives, "The righteous shall live by faith." (Habakkuk 2:4 ; (Romans 1:17)
Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV
Ephesians 6
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against
the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with
the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel
of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the
saints.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be
given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it
fearlessly, as I should.
.. Faith That Endures - Introduction to Hebrews
Have you ever been tempted to give in or compromise in some areas of your
life just to ease the pressure of taking a stand for Christ? Some
believers would rather give up a biblical stand on God's creation of all
things if it means they will not be ridiculed for their beliefs. Others
would rather give in to social drinking than be laughed at for abstaining.
Still others would prefer to remain in a liberal or apostate church rather
than face the social (or family) consequences of leaving. Just as the
original readers of Hebrews faced tremendous pressure to give in to their
peers, most Christians today are pressured by those around them to give in
to the popular way of thinking about issues like morality, divorce,
abortion, even the natural world around us. Without fail, the toughest
option always will be to remain faithful to God's Word and God's calling.
[1]
Today we are sometimes told that unbelievers can be led to faith in Christ
by some kind of outward influence-the success of believers, miraculous
events, or other evidences of God's work. Yet the Bible shows us that even
when Jesus Christ proved His identity through miracles, He was rejected by
those who refused to come to Him by faith. We need to remember that it is
the simple gospel-salvation by grace through faith based on blood-by which
people are saved. Yet those who reject the gospel would continue to reject
Him even if He were to appear in person. In your witness for Christ,
concentrate on verbally communicating the good news of the gospel, and
allow God to draw people to Himself through it.
[2]
Some people mistakenly believe that Christ's word of judgment on that
generation of Israel represented God's condemnation of Jews for all time.
Tragically, this misconception has led to mistreatment of the Jews at
different times and places throughout modern history. As we will see, God
is not finished with Israel, nor does he love Jewish people any less than
all the Gentiles for whom He came and offered Himself. If you have any
Jewish friends or acquaintances, remember to treat them with Christian
love and respect, understanding that God loves them dearly and desires
that they come to faith in Messiah.
[3]
In some parts of the world, public identification with Christ through
baptism brings the same kind of persecution and suffering that Jewish
believers faced in the first century. That should cause us to wonder if
our profession of faith in Christ is really "public" in that our friends
and acquaintances know we belong to Him-and whether it is so clear to some
that we actually experience the same reaction Christ would experience if
He were here today. While we should not intentionally invite persecution,
the Bible seems to show us that if we are living godly lives, some of
those around us will take exception to our identification with Christ. In
that way, persecution will be a hallmark of a godly witness.
[4]
With all the talk about poverty and homelessness today, it is difficult
for Christians to know just what their responsibilities are. Based on
examples in both the Old and New Testaments, God's priority for true
believers in relation to those in need is always first to take care of the
family of faith, particularly those closest to us. While feeding the
"anonymous poor" is genuinely compassionate and can provide wonderful
evangelistic opportunities, both in the Mosaic Law and in New Testament
history, believers were expected to help those in the family of faith
living godly lives yet in material need. How wonderful it would be if more
churches would take seriously this call to help out those in their own
assembly and believers in other areas who are experiencing the trial of
material need.
[5]
The wonderful benefits that come with a relationship with Christ are often
called our "spiritual heritage." As we will see, the writer of Hebrews
believed that our spiritual heritage should have a dramatic and lasting
effect on our lives. But is this really true of believers today? Does
being enlightened by the Word of God cause us to lose our appetite for the
crude language and crass humor of the secular world around us? Does
becoming partakers of the Holy Spirit cause us to conduct our marriages,
our families, and our businesses differently from the way we did before we
yielded to Him? Today-and every day-is a good time to review some aspects
of our spiritual heritage and look for concrete ways in which its benefits
have changed the way we live.
[6]
"Losing hope," or becoming discouraged because of the corruption of the
world around us, is as real a problem for Christians today as it was in
the first century. Unfortunately, many believers simply give in to
discouragement, disobedience, or even depression in the face of
overwhelming opposition to the things of God and the Bible. One simple
solution-or at least a start-would be to begin spending as much time
receiving God's perspective on the world as we spend receiving the world's
perspective on God. For example, perhaps you could spend as much time in
devotional Bible reading as you spend watching television each day. Or you
could commit yourself to be as faithful to spending a daily "quiet time"
in the Word of God as you are to reading the daily newspaper. Once you try
it, you'll likely find that no day is complete without your "appointment"
with God.
[7]
Not too many years ago, many Christians became consumed with doctrine to
the exclusion of its practical applications. More recently, much Christian
literature has concentrated on the Christian experience, to the exclusion
of Bible truth behind it. As we will see in the book of Hebrews, God wants
His children to know what His Word says-and to respond to it
appropriately. Is this your commitment to His Word? One Bible study
process encourages Christians to ask three logical questions when reading
or studying the Bible.They are: (1) what does it say? (2) what does it
mean? and (3) what does it mean to me? By carefully asking and answering
these questions each time you approach God's Word, you may find that your
personal interaction with the Bible will become much more meaningful and
life- changing.
[8]
Although we do yet not face the same kind of physical attacks the original
readers of Hebrews faced, our beliefs are under attack daily in our
culture. The New Age movement, atheistic humanism, popular liberalism, and
a compromising, watered- down form of "Churchianity" threaten to undermine
our trust in the absolute truth of God's Word. This letter's exhortations
to faith and perseverance, then, are as relevant to us today as they were
in the first century. And according to this biblical book, our enjoyment
of God's "rest"-a victorious Christian life-depends on how we respond to
those exhortations.
[9]
Over the past 20 years, the priority of worship has all but disappeared
from our culture. Although movies and even television shows of the
previous generation occasionally portrayed families in worship or
religious practice, the only mentions of religious worship in the media
today are derogatory or derisive. Even among professing Christians,
faithfulness to weekly worship is easily pushed aside by recreation,
Sunday sports, or matters of scheduling and convenience. Yet God's Word
places a high priority on the practice of corporate worship, especially in
the midst of adverse circumstances. If God considers worship to be this
important, shouldn't we?
[10]
Our society thrives on things that are quick or "instant." Microwave ovens
make possible instant meals; telephones give us instant contact with
friends and business associates; fax machines provide us with instant
correspondence; contests and lotteries offer the phantom hope of instant
riches. To our detriment, we sometimes erroneously believe that one bit of
knowledge or some type of experience can provide us with instant spiritual
maturity. The Bible is clear, however, that maturity in Christ is a long,
steady process of growth in the knowledge of His Word and in obedient
submission to Him. Like athletic conditioning or physical growth from
childhood to adulthood, there are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. That
was true for the original readers of Hebrews, just as it is true for us
today.
[11]
Too many times we think of disobedience or spiritual apathy in terms of
the "hereafter" rather than in terms of "the here and now." If we
understand Scripture correctly, however, we realize that there are
present, temporal, physical consequences to our disobedience or neglect.
The Bible frequently links spiritual obedience (such as faithfulness to
worship, honoring one's parents, and marital fidelity) to temporal
benefits like physical preservation, longevity of life, and the answering
of one's prayers. If our lives are beset with perpetual difficulties, the
first place we should look for help is in our own faithfulness to God and
His Word. Only when we know that our suffering is not self-inflicted can
we begin to look for the greater purposes God may be working in our lives.
[12]
With all of the cults, movements, philosophies, and "-isms" that face us
today, we might well wonder how we can best safeguards ourselves from
deception. According to the writer of Hebrews, the best defense is a good
offense. That is, the best way to remain safe from deception is to be
involved in steady growth toward maturity. And the best way to move
steadily toward maturity is by diligently practicing what the World of God
reveals. This gives new meaning to the importance of Sunday sermons, home
Bible studies, and Sunday school classes, since these are probably our
best sources of food for spiritual growth. We should do all we can to
ensure that these practices provide us with that we need to grow-and that
we grow according to the spiritual "food" we receive!
[13]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1-13]Pentecost, J. D., & Durham, K. (2000). Faith that endures : A
practical commentary on the book of Hebrews (Rev. ed.) (14). Grand Rapids,
MI: Kregel Publications.
.. Faith Under Fire
Related Audio/Video Downloads
http://breakpoint.org/media/dkContent/6514/052807_BP.mp3
Where Is God in Wartime?
Where is God amidst the horrors of war? How do soldiers keep their faith
in God's goodness amidst the suffering and slaughter of battle?
American soldiers and sailors, airmen and Marines have asked questions
like these ever since the War for Independence. The questions occupy their
thoughts and find their way from faraway battlefields into letters to
loved ones.
Journalist Andrew Carroll has collected many of these letters in a book
entitled Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War. Among them is
a note from Private Walter Bromwich, who questioned God's role in the
slaughter of World War I.
"How can there be fairness in one man being maimed for life, suffering
agonies, and another killed instantaneously, while I get out of it safe?"
Bromwich asked his pastor back in Pennsylvania. "What I would like to
believe," Bromwich wrote, "is that God is in this war, not as a spectator,
but backing up everything that is good in us. I don't know whether God
goes forth with armies, but I do know that He is in lots of our men or
they would not do what they do."
Other soldiers worried about their public witness more than their personal
safety. In 1943, Private First Class William Kiessel, who was about to
take part in the invasion into France, wrote to friends that he did not
want prayer for his safety, because "safety isn't the ultimate goal. True
exemplary conduct is." And he added, "What is important is that whatever
does happen to me I will do absolutely nothing that will shame my
character or my God."
Where is God in the midst of war? Lieutenant Colonel Scott Barnes, a
doctor who treated hundreds of wounded patients in Iraq, offered an answer
to that question in an email home to family and friends.
"Some of my colleagues have wondered out loud," he wrote, "how there can
be a God with all of this suffering. I just remind them that He might just
be right in some of our hands and working right beside us.
"Where is God? He is in the O.R. guiding the hands of the surgeons, He is
in the will of the sergeants helping organize a blood drive as only they
can, He is in the hearts of the soldiers who immediately rolled up their
sleeves to give what they had to save a dying brother whom they don't even
know"-or even a captured enemy.
Letters like these renewed Carroll's own faith in God. "They showed me
that even in the bleakest of circumstances, with God's help, we can
overcome all adversity," Carroll writes. "Through Him, we can endure any
hardship. Because of Him, we are never alone."
Where is Christ during the horrors of war today? He's on the Cross.
On this day, Memorial Day, I want to send a personal message to our
servicemen around the world: We at home are deeply grateful to you and we
are proud of your service to our nation and our God as you defend the
innocent. And I encourage you to remember the words found in Deuteronomy:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified . . . for the
Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you."
May God bless and keep you, and protect you and your families.
By Chuck Colson
5/28/2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward today's BreakPoint to your friends and family members
serving in the military, and let them know their service is appreciated!
For Further Reading and Information
Visit "America Supports You" to send gifts or messages of thanks to
members of the armed forces.
Visit the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's "Operation Bless Our
Troops" to offer prayer, encouragement, and care packages to your friends
or family serving in the military.
Tom McFeely, "A Soldier's Sacrifice," National Catholic Register, 27 May
2007.
BreakPoint Commentary No. 060529, "The Greatest Love: Memorial Day
Memories."
BreakPoint Commentary No. 050530, "Soldiering Justly: Fighting Freedom's
Battles."
BreakPoint Commentary No. 040531, "A Soldier's Valor: Helping and Healing
in Iraq."
-- +Sig+
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http://76.162.173.93/stj.jpg
Use alias: St. Jackanapes as a basis for counterfeit.
"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot
and turn to attack you." (Matthew 7:6 RSV)
.. The Total Collapse (Death) Of Atheism
http://76.162.173.93/uit/coa/
.. Marxist/Leninist (Liberal Socialism)
http://76.162.173.93/uit/mls/
.. Cosmic Humanist Worldview
http://76.162.173.93/uit/chw/chw.wmv
.. Secular Humanist Worldview
http://76.162.173.93/uit/shw/shw.wmv
.. Biblical Christian Worldview
http://76.162.173.93/uit/bcw/bcw.wmv
.. The Perfect Stranger
http://76.162.173.93/misc/tps/
.. Are You Going To Heaven?
http://76.162.173.93/misc/aygth.wmv
.. My Redeemer Lives!
http://76.162.173.93/misc/mrl.wmv
.. Mormonism - Joseph Smith's Temple of Doom
http://76.162.173.93/uit/mor/
.. Spiritual Warfare
http://76.162.173.93/guest/=CD-R=spiritual-warfare/
.. The Way of the Master Series
http://76.162.173.93/wms/
.. Investigating Jesus
http://76.162.199.209/_/
.. Romans Audio Bible Study
http://76.162.173.93/bible-study/=CD-R=romans/
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15 RSV)
.. The MP3 Streaming Audio Series
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.. login: guest password: guest
------------------------------------------------------------
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For a limited time, these series are available here.
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login: guest password: guest
------------------------------------------------------------
.. Overview the Bible
http://76.162.173.93/bible-study/=CD-R=ltb-24/
.. There's no hurry?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrmDWn6awMA
"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will
not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and
flout him, for he cannot bear scorn."
.. Heaven & Hell
http://76.162.173.93/prophecy/=CD-R=heaven-and-hell/
.. The Gospel of Matthew
http://76.162.173.93/bible-study/=CD-R=matthew-rv/
.. A Primer on Prophecy
http://76.162.173.93//prophecy/=CD-R=prophecy-101-small-wmv
.. The Edge of Eternity
http://76.162.173.93/prophecy/=CD-R=the-edge-of-eternity-ar/
.. Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once.
------------------------------------------------------------
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A Hermeneutical Study on Bible Doctrine
http://76.162.173.93/members/awabg/
login: guest password: guest
------------------------------------------------------------
.. Wisdom of a Lifetime - Audio MP3 Collection -
http://bibleweb.info/ftp/ftp-members-0002.html
.. The Last (5th) Horseman
http://bibleweb.info/ftp/ftp-members-0003.html
.. The Facts About Jesus, the Bible & the Afterlife
http://bibleweb.info/ftp/ftp-members-0004.html
.. The Way - http://john-14-6.com/john-14-6.pdf
.. A Tribute to THE KING
http://bibleweb.info/public-a-tribute-to-the-king.pdf
.. The Way
http://76.162.199.199/john-14-6.pdf
.. How to Spot a Counterfeit
http://76.162.173.93/guest/ar-mp3/ar-how-to-spot-a-counterfeit.mp3
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and
will bring swift destruction on themselves (2 Peter 2:1).
.. Scriptural Christianity
http://76.162.173.93/guest/=CD-R=scriptural-christianity/
My Main Collection - http://Bibleweb.Info/
.. Maranatha!
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| User: "Douglas Berry" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 07:32:26 PM |
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On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:32:04 -0400 there was an Ancient "You Think"
<ut_ab02@yahoo.uk> who stoppeth one in alt.atheism
Today is July 10, 2007
Lady Jane Grey takes the throne of England. (1553)
--
Douglas Berry Do the OBVIOUS thing to send e-mail
Atheist #2147, Atheist Vet #5
Jason Gastrich is praying for me on 8 January 2011
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the
source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a
stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as
good as dead: his eyes are closed." - Albert Einstein
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
11 Jul 2007 01:22:12 PM |
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On 10 jul, 14:32, "You Think" <ut_a...@yahoo.uk> wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Verse of the Day -- Colossians 3:12
. . . those who have been chosen of God . . . put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Thought for the Day
Five things to aspire to in order to be more Christ-like.
"For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29
Don't believe all the slander Paul tellls about God. . .
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| User: "The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 01:25:14 PM |
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On Jul 10, 1:32 pm, "John B Loiodice XXXXII"
<Johnbollocks@loiodice.com> wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Verse of the Day
As i was standing on the stair
I met a God who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish his botherers would go away!
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| User: "Ghod" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 01:30:33 PM |
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"The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." <hugh.jarse@heathens.org.uk> wrote in
message news:1184091914.544110.268080@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 10, 1:32 pm, "John B Loiodice XXXXII"
<Johnbollocks@loiodice.com> wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Verse of the Day
As i was standing on the stair
I met a God who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish his botherers would go away!
Very nice, sir!
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| User: "You Think" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 04:57:28 PM |
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"The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." <hugh.jarse@heathens.org.uk> wrote in message
news:1184091914.544110.268080@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 10, 1:32 pm, "John B Loiodice XXXXII"
<Johnbollocks@loiodice.com> wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Verse of the Day
As i was standing on the stair
I met a God who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish his botherers would go away!
(Amos 9:11 and Psalm 19:14)
(Amos 9:11 NASB)
The Restoration of Israel
11 "In that day I will ?a?raise up the fallen ?1??b?booth of
David, And wall up its ?c?breaches; I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the ?d?days of old;
12 ?a?That they may possess the remnant of ?b?Edom And all the
?1?nations who are ?c?called by My name,"
Declares the Lord who does this.
[1]
This could mean, as Orthodox Jews believe, that there will be a literal
rebuilding of the tabernacle in the day of the Lord, in the end times.
It most likely refers, however, to the household of David. That is,
Jesus Christ, the Son of David, will rule and reign in Jerusalem.
[2]
This idea of the mountains dropping sweet wine and the hills melting is
talking about a restoration of the land. When the mountains first
melted, they became rocky and barren. Now, they will flow with wine.
They will be lush and bountiful once again.
[3]
The phrase "in that day" refers to the last days of Israel. "In that day
will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen." To follow
through on this, listen to James in Acts 15 where he quotes this
prophecy of Amos: "And after they had held their peace, James answered,
saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God
at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for
his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David,
which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I
will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and
all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth
all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of
the world" (Acts 15:13-18).
Today God is calling out a people for His name among the Gentiles. After
this He will raise up the tabernacle of David. In other words, he is
speaking of the kingdom age, the Millennium, the greatest day which is
yet in the future.
[4]
There will be many nations which will enter the Millennium.
[5]
9:11 In "that day" Yahweh would also restore the fallen booth of David
that had suffered some destruction (cf. v. 1; Lev. 23:33-42; 2 Sam.
11:11; 1 Kings 20:12-16; Jon. 4:5). The booth (tent) of David is a
reference to the dynasty of David, which acted as a shelter over the
Israelites. When Amos prophesied, the tent of David had suffered major
damage due to the division of the kingdom into two parts, though it had
not yet collapsed completely. In the future God would restore the
Davidic house and rebuild it as in former days, when it was a united
kingdom with a descendant of David ruling over all Israel (cf. Jer.
30:3-10; Ezek. 37:15-28; Hos. 3:4-5). That day, still future from our
point in history, would be a day of restoration as well as a day of
judgment. The restoration will follow in the Millennium after the
judgments of the Tribulation.
9:12 When the house of David was again intact, Israel would exercise
authority over all the nations of the world and would be a source of
blessing to them. This would include even the small number of Edomites
alive then, people who had formerly been implacable enemies of the
Israelites (cf. Obad. 19). Israel's blessing would extend even to them,
representing all Israel's former enemies. All the nations would become
associated with the name of Yahweh then and would enjoy His lordship and
protection (cf. Gen. 12:3; Isa. 9:1-7; 11:1-13; 42:1-7; 45:22-25;
49:5-7; 55:1-5).
At the Jerusalem Council, the Apostle James quoted verses 11 and 12 to
support his view that the Gentiles of his day did not need to submit to
circumcision and the Mosaic Law to obtain salvation or to live as
Christians (Acts 15:13-21). He knew that the judgments of Israel were
not yet over (cf. Matt. 24:1-22; Luke 21:5-24; Acts 1:6-7). He also
knew, from this passage and others (Isa. 42:6; 60:3; Mal. 1:11), that
when God restored the house of David Gentiles would have a share in that
rule as Gentiles. James concluded, therefore, that Gentiles did not need
to become Jews to enter into these (millennial) blessings. He did not
mean that the church fulfills the promises to Israel but that since
Gentiles will experience millennial blessings as Gentiles they do not
need to become Jews in the church.
[6]
9:11, 12 The restoration of Israel is described in verses 11-15. God's
promises to David will be fulfilled. While some people employ verse 11
to teach that Israel and the church are one and the same, and that the
church now is the "repaired" tabernacle (?lit.? "booth," figure of a
deposed dynasty, ?NKJV? ?marg.?), it is surely to be taken in context to
refer to Israel and all the Gentiles in the Millennial Kingdom. Scofield
writes:
The Davidic monarchy, pictured by a tabernacle ... , was in a degraded
condition. Cp. Isa. 11:1. On the basis of this verse the Talmudic rabbis
called Messiah Bar Naphli ("the son of the fallen"). But He will arise
(Mal. 4:2).? 6
9:13-15 Crops such as grapes, wine, wheat, olives, and fruit will grow
up with amazing speed, the cities will be rebuilt and re-inhabited, and
God will plant the people, who will never be driven out of the land
again.
.. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Feinberg, Charles. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976.
Kelly, Page H. Amos, Prophet of Social Justice. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1966.
Mills, Montague S. The Minor Prophets. A Survey. Dallas: 3E Ministries,
?n.d.?
Stevenson, Herbert F. Three Prophetic Voices. Studies in Joel, Amos and
Hosea. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1971.
Tatford, Frederick A. The Minor Prophets. Vol. 1. Reprint (3 vols.)
Minneapolis: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers, 1982.
[7]
.. ==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==
(Psalm 19:14 NASB)
14 Let the words of my mouth and ?a?the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, ?b?my rock and my ?c?Redeemer.
[8]
"Cause my meditation in Your Word and my meditation about You to be
acceptable in Your sight in order that I might have fellowship and
intimacy with You." Oh, that this prayer of David's would be ours.
[9]
"Who can understand his errors?" Who can? I use subterfuge a great deal.
My wife says I rationalize. In fact, I am pretty good at that. I can
give excuses, but God won't accept them. God says that you cannot
understand your errors. Just take His word for it that you are a sinner.
"Cleanse thou me from secret faults." Secret faults are the problem with
a great many folk today. They are secret from themselves-they think they
are not sinners.
"Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins . and I shall be
innocent from the great transgression." Do you know what "the great
transgression" is? It is the rejection of Jesus Christ, the One who is
set before us in this psalm.
Now listen to the psalmist. This is a verse that you hear many times in
a believer's prayer. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of
my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my
redeemer." Who was David's strength? Christ! Who was his redeemer?
Christ. He is also my strength and my redeemer. He becomes that through
the grace of God. What a wonderful psalm this is!
[10]
19:14 The eulogy is finished. David has extolled the book of creation
and the Book of revelation. Now he lifts a parting prayer for his words
and meditation to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord, his strength
(?lit.? "Rock") and his Redeemer. When God is referred to as a rock, the
figure is designed to express strength, security and salvation. As our
Redeemer, God in Christ is the One who buys us back from sin, servitude,
and shame.
[11]
19:14 In closing this psalm, David prayed that his words and thoughts
would please God. In view of the context this takes place as we allow
the Word of God of affect our lives. David viewed his words and thoughts
as sacrifices to God (cf. Heb. 13:15). This is the implication of
"acceptable" or "pleasing." As he closed this psalm he evidently
regarded God not as his Judge but as the foundation of his life and the
One who had purchased him for a special purpose.
God has revealed Himself in nature and in Scripture. This revelation
should move us to bow in humble adoration and willing obedience before
our creator.59
[12]
.. ==//==
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a Acts 15:16-18
1 Or shelter or tabernacle
b Is 16:5
c Ps 80:12
d Is 63:11; Jer 46:26
a Obad 19
b Num 24:18; Is 11:14
1 Or Gentiles
c Is 43:7
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Am 9:11-12).
LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]Courson, J. (2006). Jon Courson's application commentary : Volume two
: Psalms-Malachi (800). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[3]Courson, J. (2006). Jon Courson's application commentary : Volume two
: Psalms-Malachi (800). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[4]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (3:723). Nashville:
Thomas Nelson.
[5]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (3:723). Nashville:
Thomas Nelson.
[6]Tom Constable. (2003; 2003). Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the
Bible (Am 9:11-12). Galaxie Software.
lit. literal, literally
NKJV New King James Version
marg. margin, marginal reading
? 6 (9:11, 12) The New Scofield Study Bible. New King James Version, p.
1056.
n.d. no date
[7]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible
Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Am 9:11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
a Ps 104:34
b Ps 18:2
c Ps 31:5; Is 47:4
[8]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ps 19:14). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]Courson, J. (2006). Jon Courson's application commentary : Volume two
: Psalms-Malachi (23). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[10]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (2:702). Nashville:
Thomas Nelson.
lit. literal, literally
[11]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible
Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Ps 19:14). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
59 59. See Swindoll, pp. 56-66.
[12]Tom Constable. (2003; 2003). Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the
Bible (Ps 19:14). Galaxie Software.
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| User: "JohnN" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 01:51:20 PM |
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On Jul 10, 8:32 am, "You Think" <ut_a...@yahoo.uk> wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Jolly good of you to keep current.
JohnN
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| User: "Uncle Vic" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 04:15:00 PM |
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You Think wrote:
Today is July 10, 2007
Freethought of the day.
http://ffrf.org/day/
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| User: "You Think" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 04:43:26 PM |
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"Uncle Vic" <address@withheld.com> wrote in message news:6aydnczdyqt9aw7bnZ2dnUVZ_oesnZ2d@inreach.com...
Today is July 10, 2007
Freethought of the day.
http://ffrif.org/day/
<Bada Bing!>
.. Ten Questions about Origins
What fossil record is there of any transitional fossils indicating that
one order evolved into another order?
Is there any evidence of a order that was at one time a different order? I
recognize that there is adaptation within an order, different breeds of
dogs for example, but I don't know of any case where there is any evidence
of a dog becoming a horse.
What scientific evidence is there to support a natural origin of life?
(The evolutionist may point to the Miller-Urey experiments in 1953, much
celebrated at the time. They initially said they had reproduced the
precise conditions under which in the primordial soup life could have
arisen. But after experts looked at it, it turned out that there was
frequent human intervention and had the process been left to itself, it
could not have worked. In short, there is no evidence.)
How does one support the conclusion of the American Society of Biological
Teachers that evolution is "unsupervised, impersonal and random?" What
scientific (as opposed to philosophical) basis is there for this
statement?
(A follow-up question for 4) Is this not inconsistent with discoveries
about DNA, which indicate that there is a mathematical formula determining
the complexity of human beings? Do mathematical formulas have naturalistic
origins?
How do we reconcile the second law of thermodynamics with the universe as
we know it? If the universe is indeed winding down, does that not
presuppose that sometime and by some means it was being wound up? By what
means?
What is your answer to Dr. Michael Behe's findings (Darwin's Black Box)
about the irreducible complexity of the cell structure, that is, his
mousetrap example? All the parts of a cell had to work at once otherwise
the cell doesn't work.Thus evolution of one part at a time is not
reasonable.
What caused the Big Bang?
What did Einstein mean when he said, "God does not play dice with the
cosmos?" If he considered evidence of intelligence in the universe, why
shouldn't we?
What evidence is there for genetic mutations that increase the
biologically useful information of the genome? Or to put it another way:
What evidence is there for genetic mutations facilitating
macroevolutionary change? When you ask these questions, beware. Aggressive
evolutionists will attempt to intimidate you, dismiss the questions, laugh
at them, claim that they're ridiculous, or say that you're basing it on
your faith. Stand your ground. This is not based on your faith. These are
common sense inquiries that anybody in an academically free environment
ought to pursue. They are not unreasonable questions, even though that is
what your adversary will say. Or he will tell you that you really don't
understand or that you have to be more into science to grasp this, or it's
too complex a concept to explain. If it's too complex to explain, how
could anyone teach it?
The one you must never let evolutionists run away from is Einstein.
Naturalists in the evolutionist lobby do not allow anybody to talk about
intelligent design because they say it comes from faith. It doesn't. There
is a respectable school of science and Einstein raised these questions.
So why should they be stricken out of inquiry?
If you can get a naturalist to acknowledge that they can be discussed,
he's finished, which is why he'll fight so hard to reject the questions.
He's finished because there is much more scientific evidence for design
than there is for natural origin.
Everything we say about natural origin is speculation, just as the God
hypothesis that we believe in is speculation because nobody was there at
the creation. But we can look at the character of the universe and draw
certain conclusions. Because of a prior philosophical commitment to
naturalism this is precisely what the naturalist refuses to do.
By Charles Colson
-- +Sig+
Don't be a jackanapes!
http://76.162.173.93/stj.jpg
Use alias: St. Jackanapes as a basis for counterfeit.
"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot
and turn to attack you." (Matthew 7:6 RSV)
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.. The Way
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http://76.162.173.93/guest/ar-mp3/ar-how-to-spot-a-counterfeit.mp3
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and
will bring swift destruction on themselves (2 Peter 2:1).
.. Scriptural Christianity
http://76.162.173.93/guest/=CD-R=scriptural-christianity/
My Main Collection - http://Bibleweb.Info/
.. Maranatha!
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| User: "JohnN" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
10 Jul 2007 08:20:28 PM |
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On Jul 10, 5:43 pm, "You Think" <ut_a...@yahoo.uk> wrote:
"Uncle Vic" <addr...@withheld.com> wrote in messagenews:6aydnczdyqt9aw7bnZ2dnUVZ_oesnZ2d@inreach.com...
Today is July 10, 2007
Freethought of the day.
http://ffrif.org/day/
<Bada Bing!>
. Ten Questions about Origins
Evidence Colson's lack of a scientific education removed.
By Charles Colson
You and Chuck should consult http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/ for
the answers to these and all the other creationist arguements, blown
smoke, and general crap. YT, you really should do this unless you are
afraid your god will punish you for using your brain.
JohnN
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| User: "I Dont Know" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
11 Jul 2007 09:22:58 AM |
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"JohnN" <jnorris53@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1184116828.641470.170750@n60g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
. Ten Questions about Origins
You should consult http://www.trueorigins.org/ for
the answers to these and all the other creationist arguements.
JohnN
.. How Big is Your God?
Related Audio/Video Downloads
http://breakpoint.org/media/dkContent/6750/071107_BP.mp3
Thoughts on Time and Light
When you think of God, what comes to mind? A.W. Tozer once said,
"We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of
God." If our ideas about God are coming from the wrong places, then
our God will be too small. God's Word, His Son, and creation give us
ideas about the Creator. In Romans 1, Paul tells us that creation reveals
God's glory, but men have suppressed this knowledge.
In her latest book, Time Peace, my friend and colleague Ellen Vaughn has
come up with a wonderful way to blast our too-small conceptions of God
out of the water-and that is to contemplate time and light, two very
complex elements of the created order.
While I can hardly do justice to her arguments in the space of a short
commentary, I can say that Ellen shows us how scientific findings can
enlarge our perspective of God. And she does this in an easy-to-read
manner that doesn't make the average reader's head spin.
Ellen starts with Albert Einstein upsetting time's applecart. As she says,
"His discoveries showed us that the rate of time's passage is not fixed,
but is in fact relative to contextual elements like velocity or gravity." Ellen
tells us how in Einstein's famous formula-E=mc˛-m, that is mass, and
e, that is energy, are really just two forms of the same thing. Energy is
matter that has been freed. Matter is energy waiting for liberation. As she
says in her down-to-earth style, "The amount of energy available in any
given bit of matter-a Tootsie Roll, a stone, an atom-is the matter's
mass multiplied by the fastest velocity imaginable. That would be the
speed of light or c squared."
That means if somehow we had two twins and we were able to send one
around the world at the speed of light and the other one stayed home, the
one who went jet-setting around the planet would actually come back
younger than the one who stayed home. Or to put it another way, if both
those twins were wearing watches, the one who had been traveling at
light speed would actually have a time that read earlier than the one who
did not leave planet Earth.
If all this is mind-bending and perplexing, you're not alone. But it just
begins to scratch the surface of how big our God is. After all, if a being
could move at the speed of light, for that kind of being, time would not
move. Scriptures tell us, "God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all"
(1 John 1:5).
As Vaughn says, "Is God light? Surely we can't pin down the nature of
God Himself, as if He can be analyzed, calibrated, or clocked. God is not
an object." She's right. But I agree with her premise-the more we
understand light and time, the more humbled and in awe we will be when
we read how these biblical images are used to describe God.
Time Peace has certainly made me think more deeply about the way I
think about God. I hope that as you read the book, you will discover
where your ideas of God have been too small-and where your view of
the time God has given you may be stunted, too.
I recommend this book. Not only is it a good read, it is also a powerful
apologetic for the existence of God.
By Chuck Colson
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ellen Vaughn, Time Peace: Living Here and Now with a Timeless God,
(Zondervan, 2007).
Regis Nicoll, "Light and the Nature of God," The Point, 27 June 2007.
David Efrid, "Is God in Time?" The Prosblogion, 16 June 2004.
Steve Bishop, "God, Time and Eternity," Quodlibet Journal, Volume 6
Number 1, January - March 2004.
William Lane Craig, "God and Real Time," Leadership University, 13
July 2002.
Travis McSherley, "The Mark of Meaning: How Art and Science Point
to Nature's Creator," Breakpoint Online, 13 October 2006.
Breakpoint Commentary No. 070710, "Time Peace: A New Perspective
on Time."
Breakpoint Commentary No. 061013, "Patterns that Point to Design: A
Meaningful World."
Breakpoint Commentary No. 061024, "Opening the Door for God:
Something Beyond Nature."
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
11 Jul 2007 12:58:16 PM |
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I Don't Know <idk-33@NOhotmail.com> wrote in alt.atheism
When you think of God, what comes to mind?
Make-believe fairy tales.
--
Elroy Willis
www.elroysemporium.com
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| User: "You Think" |
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| Title: Re: Today is July 10, 2007 |
11 Jul 2007 08:58:41 AM |
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"JohnN" <jnorris53@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1184116828.641470.170750@n60g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
. Ten Questions about Origins
Evidence Colson's lack of a scientific education removed.
By Charles Colson
Creation VS Evolution Series
The Collapse of Darwinism
- The Life on Earth
- The Origin of Earth
- The Design of the Cell
- The Imaginary Mechanisms of Evolution
- The Fossil Record
- The True Origin of Species
- The Tale of Human Evolution
Video Series (Media Player & Macromedia)
- in the Guest Area => http://bibleweb.info/
.. Also ...
The Origins Series: How the World Came to Be
The Video Series
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Origin of the Universe
Compelling evidence for a created universe... intriguing evidence
against Evolution... It seems to be blindly accepted as an "unproven
fact" by most scientists and educators, but did the universe really
result from a "Big Bang?" This program reveals that the universe is
far too complex and well-designed to have originated simply by time
and chance. There is clear evidence of an intelligent "Master
designer". There is abundant evidence that Evolution is impossible.
This award-winning video provides compelling evidence for a created
universe, and intriguing evidence against Evolution. The cosmos is
degenerating, not evolving upward!
This film is part of the award-winning ORIGINS: How the World Came
to Be series.
(Produced by Eden Communications / Films for Christ and EO)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Earth, A Young Planet
We are bombarded by dogmatic claims that the earth is billions of
years old. Is it? We've all heard it hundreds, perhaps even
thousands of times. "Earth is billions of years old." But what are
the actual facts? What does the data actually reveal? Although it
has been effectively withheld from the general public, many are now
discovering that there is much evidence in support of the view that
our planet is actually relatively young.
This motion picture, from the award-winning ORIGINS series, exposes
the problems and assumptions of important Evolutionary age
estimation methods. A real eye-opener!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Origin of Life
Life, in all it's complexity, points emphatically to a Creator How
did life begin? Did we evolve by accident from some primordial soup,
or was there an intelligent designer? Every man's answer to that
question goes a long way in determining what standard he/she will
fashion their earthly existence by. Discover what scientists'
ongoing attempts to produce life in the lab have proven. Could even
the simplest cell ever evolve into existence by natural processes?
This award-winning production illustrates the impossibility of
Evolution and leaves audiences in awe of the superb design of DNA,
the human brain, and all living things! Ends with a stirring
evangelistic challenge by its host, Dr. Wilder-Smith, that viewers
would seek out and establish a relationship with the designer of
life, Jesus Christ. Excellent for Christians and non-Christians
alike! this video is part of the award-winning ORIGINS: How the
World Came to Be series.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Origin of Species Discover the embarrassing reason why the
"missing link" is still missing!
Are all creatures just branches of an Evolutionary tree? Or are they
all distinctly different, unique creations? What led Charles Darwin
to the belief that one species could evolve into another?
Today, scientists throughout the world are beginning to acknowledge
what the Bible has stated so clearly for thousands of years. Living
things cannot evolve upward by mutations, n | | | | |
