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I believe the words of 2 Peter 3:[9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Also the words in Mark 4:[23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. [/color][24] And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and[u] unto[/U you that hear shall more be given.
We also read in Heb. 11: [6] But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
I believe that if we are diligently seeking God and His Son, we will take heed to the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
In summary, if we truly hear the words of Jesus with a mind to be obedient to Him, when we obey the words He says, then He will give us more understanding. If we reach the stage where we hunger and thirst after righteousness, He says we "SHALL be filled" (See Matt5:6.) I believe when we reach this level we are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes it possible to keep the commandments of Christ, and we will have no works of which we can boast, since the Holy Spirit is doing the works in and through us.
Last edited by june 7th; 10-27-2012 at 07:39 AM..
Reason: Red is reserved for moderator actions within posts. Any other color is okay. Thanks.
Well Robert, you're partially right. You might recall Acts 2:38-39 and Titus 3: 3-8. God gives the Holy Spirit in Baptism. The Bible says, No one can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the HOly Spirit. The HOly Spirit lives in every true believer. But what a believer does with this gift is then to a great extent up to them. If they fail to heed God's word in their life and continue to be faithful, they can fall away, lose their faith and their salvation. If they continue to grow in their knowledge of God through the study of HIs word and put that word into practive, then yes, God will help them grow in faith, wisdom, knowledge. See John 15:1 and following, where Jesus talks about Him being the vine and we are the branches. Note that there are only two results for branches. Cut off and burned, or pruned so that we will be more fruitful.
However, we never totally conquer sin. We still end up sinning in our thoughts words and sometimes even our deeds. Read Romans 7 where Paul here confesses his own sinfulness. Note 1 John 1. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us... "
Normally I do not post in these threads anymore, but I was moved to do so through the most Holy Spirit in Jesus' name.
So I begin with...Greetings in Jesus' name and peace be with you and all yours, as His peace I bring.
Both of you are correct and both are of biblical scripture. Now, we must seek the balance of both. See the below devotion of a twelve part series on "A Life of Balance". This is Part 1....
"Both Sides of the Coin"
Snippet: Please let us beware. Satan (prince of this world) is the master deceiver, he is the master liar. He masquerades as an angel of light. He will seek to sidetrack us with religious thinking that is unbalanced. The more intense and radical our lives are in following the Lord, the more authentic and holy we want to be in our pursuit of God, then the more we are in danger of getting out of balance and going to extremes.
One reason why there has been so much division, disunity and fighting in the Body of Christ throughout history is because an individual or group took a truth stretched it to an extreme and left out the other side of the story. They forgot that the coin always has two sides and that the bird flies with two wings.
I will finish this with this statement of truth and scripture....
NOT one man, yes, NOT one man is without sin. Here is one of my most favorite testimonies of Paul (Romans 7:14-23), whom is very spiritually close to my heart...
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.”
As Brother Robert mentioned, I also believe in standout faith, with utmost confidence, that if we are diligently seeking God and His Son, we will take heed to the words of Jesus, our Christ, which are of the Holy Spirit, Father God's most holy words, His Words of Truth. He is above all creation, and we are all beneath Him, and His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, as He is EVERYTHING!
Peace be with you and all yours, as His peace I leave with you.
Last edited by june 7th; 10-27-2012 at 07:53 AM..
Reason: To adhere to city-data's copyright.
Well Robert, you're partially right. You might recall Acts 2:38-39 and Titus 3: 3-8. God gives the Holy Spirit in Baptism. The Bible says, No one can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the HOly Spirit. The HOly Spirit lives in every true believer. But what a believer does with this gift is then to a great extent up to them. If they fail to heed God's word in their life and continue to be faithful, they can fall away, lose their faith and their salvation. If they continue to grow in their knowledge of God through the study of HIs word and put that word into practive, then yes, God will help them grow in faith, wisdom, knowledge. See John 15:1 and following, where Jesus talks about Him being the vine and we are the branches. Note that there are only two results for branches. Cut off and burned, or pruned so that we will be more fruitful.
However, we never totally conquer sin. We still end up sinning in our thoughts words and sometimes even our deeds. Read Romans 7 where Paul here confesses his own sinfulness. Note 1 John 1. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us... "
You are right that Baptism is a necessary part of being a Christian. But as Brother Michael pointed out in his eloquent comments below, Martin Luther (incidentally one of my favorite heroes) was so inspired with the need for faith and a change in out human nature, that he thought for awhile that the book of James should not be a part of the Bible. Unfortunately many Protestant preachers are so sold on faith alone being all that is required to be saved that they overlook Peter's words in Acts 5:32 that God gives the Holy Ghost to those who OBEY Him. They preach that every believer receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, failing to stress that faith without obedience is not a saving faith. Paul said in ch. 8 of Romans that "if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his."
I believe you are totally right that a person can lose his salvation if he does not hold out until death. But numerous "believers" fall away without ever being a partaker of the Holy Spirit. If they truly then repent, they can "bring forth fruits worthy of repentance."
Best wishes to all as we seek to KNOW & DO the will of God,
Bob
Regarding "hungering and thirsting", I've learned from personal experience that the more I read, hear and study the Word and not just that, but meditate on it and apply it in my daily walk with the Lord and then give it out to His sheep, that this is a cycle and it keeps going around and around as long as I keep giving out what I get from Him.
In other words, I got a hunger for the Word only after first having it opened up to me by the Holy Spirit.
You said...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert M Prince
I[color=red]f we reach the stage where we hunger and thirst after righteousness, He says we "SHALL be filled" (See Matt5:6.) I believe when we reach this level we are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes it possible to keep the commandments of Christ, and we will have no works of which we can boast, since the Holy Spirit is doing the works in and through us.
First of all, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is the one that opens the Word up to us in order for us to BE filled in the first place. According to many verses I've read, we receive the Holy Spirit immediately upon acknowledging Jesus' Lordship, but some of us get hit with it harder than others.
Here are just a few verses on this:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE SHALL teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
My Holy Ghost experience was two-fold. First, I got saved (series of miracles) then the Lord lead me to a group of hippy Christians (1969) who taught that receiving the HS was a secondary thing to salvation. I now believe that you get the HS when you receive the Lord, but there is also an extra dosage that I experienced. I received the Lord 5 days before meeting these folks, then when I prayed for the Lord to FILL me with His Holy Spirit, as soon as I said, "Thank you, Jesus." it was like being hit by a bolt of lightening. I felt the HS come down in full force and I could feel that every sin in my life (past and future) was gone. So forgiven that they were just simply erased.
The second I became aware of it and the weight came off my chest, I was so relieved that all I could do was sob with gratefulness and relief. Like having the Rock of Gibralter rolled off of me. This was five days after asking Jesus to come into my heart and I barely knew John 3:16.
Act 19:1-6 "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
"And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. "
Last edited by june 7th; 10-27-2012 at 07:56 AM..
Reason: Red is reserved for moderator actions within posts. Any other color is okay. Thanks.
Regarding "hungering and thirsting", I've learned from personal experience that the more I read, hear and study the Word and not just that, but meditate on it and apply it in my daily walk with the Lord and then give it out to His sheep, that this is a cycle and it keeps going around and around as long as I keep giving out what I get from Him.
In other words, I got a hunger for the Word only after first having it opened up to me by the Holy Spirit.
You said...
That is wonderful good news and I only hope that you continue to apply this in your life and share your faith and hope in Christ Jesus through your actions to all.
As to what you posted above in regards to Brother Roberts posting. I would like to say that Father God seeks out many, but unfortunately only a few come. Fortunately, you 'janvy' were one that did come. Praise the Lord Jesus, for He is EVERYTHING!!! What happened to you my brother/sister was that Father God seeked you out, and you were moved through His most gracious Love, through the power, the might, and the love of the most Holy Spirit. Brother Richard is right, and so are you my brother/sister 'janvy'. Their is a balance here between what both of you commented on, and again, both of you are true. Not one man, yes, not one man will ever perceive what the thoughts and ways of the Father are. Even our Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man, our Christ has not full knowledge of the Fathers thoughts and ways (His will), and our Lord Jesus testified to this..."It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." (Acts 1:7)".....so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me." (John 14:31)
Also testimony...
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)
Many will be called, but only a few will come, and the ones that do come will be called in many different ways through the Holy Spirit. Be it through angels of light, be it through ministering spirits (children of God), through His miracles, His healings, His music...etc. However, many, and I mean many of the few that do come will come to Him from seeing the standout Faith that we have in Jesus, the standout Hope we have in Jesus, and the standout Faith we have in His promise He holds steadfastly too. These faithful actions is what really draws us to Him, to have a intimacy with Him like NO other here in this visible world.
I have personally seen what this steadfast standout faith, this utmost confidence in action, and it is moving like nothing else I have ever seen. This is what brings on healings and miracles we hear so much of in the Gospels. These go on each and everyday, but we do not see it, but rarely here of it, because we have lost touch with...Living by Faith and Not by Sight.
Peace be with you and all yours, as His peace I leave you with.
Peace I l
Last edited by Brother Michael; 10-26-2012 at 02:59 PM..
Their is a balance here between what both of you commented on, and again, both of you are true. Not one man, yes, not one man will ever perceive what the thoughts and ways of the Father are. l
Brother Michael stressed there being a balance between faith and works. If we have truly repented and have a true faith in Jesus as being the Son of God, God gives us an obedient Spirit. If we truly love Jesus and His Father with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, then we become possessors of the Holy Spirit. And as Paul said in Romans 7:[6] But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
If we are filled with the richness of the Holy Spirit, then a spirit of obedience becomes our second nature, as Jesus said in John 14:[23]If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Last edited by june 7th; 10-27-2012 at 07:58 AM..
Reason: Red is reserved for moderator actions within posts. Any other color is okay. Thanks.
Normally I do not post in these threads anymore, but I was moved to do so through the most Holy Spirit in Jesus' name.
So I begin with...Greetings in Jesus' name and peace be with you and all yours, as His peace I bring.
Both of you are correct and both are of biblical scripture. Now, we must seek the balance of both. See the below devotion of a twelve part series on "A Life of Balance". This is Part 1....
"Both Sides of the Coin"
Snippet: Please let us beware. Satan (prince of this world) is the master deceiver, he is the master liar. He masquerades as an angel of light. He will seek to sidetrack us with religious thinking that is unbalanced. The more intense and radical our lives are in following the Lord, the more authentic and holy we want to be in our pursuit of God, then the more we are in danger of getting out of balance and going to extremes.
One reason why there has been so much division, disunity and fighting in the Body of Christ throughout history is because an individual or group took a truth stretched it to an extreme and left out the other side of the story. They forgot that the coin always has two sides and that the bird flies with two wings.
I will finish this with this statement of truth and scripture....
NOT one man, yes, NOT one man is without sin. Here is one of my most favorite testimonies of Paul (Romans 7:14-23), whom is very spiritually close to my heart...
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.”
As Brother Robert mentioned, I also believe in standout faith, with utmost confidence, that if we are diligently seeking God and His Son, we will take heed to the words of Jesus, our Christ, which are of the Holy Spirit, Father God's most holy words, His Words of Truth. He is above all creation, and we are all beneath Him, and His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, as He is EVERYTHING!
Peace be with you and all yours, as His peace I leave with you.
Not sure as to why the main body of my posting was deleted, and I am growing very tired of this infringement of my rights and deletion of my postings for reasons that someone else does not approve of or like what is posted. Their is no copyright infringement either, so why all the deletions every time I post something. I ask this because the mods 'JUNE' want to hide from me so i cannot communicate with them for them to give me an legal reason as to why they keep modifying or deleting these posting, mostly modifying. This is one of the reasons I do not post here anymore, as I am growing tired of this infringements on my rights....
I psted the following on 4/29/2102 on the Bible Talk Social group:
“The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17)
OBTAINING ETERNAL LIFE
When I woke up earlier than usual this morning, I had been dreaming about people who had been discussing the topic of death. Since I am 81 years old, the thought went through my mind that this was an important topic for me to be thinking about. I thought about the millions of people who have been convinced that if they believe on Jesus Christ as being the Son of God, they are sure of having been born again and that they will go to heaven when they die. The words of Jesus appear to confirm this belief in John 10: [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
I heard a highly respected Protestant preacher say recently that if we had ever believed in Jesus Christ as being the son of God, we can be assured that we have eternal life and that He has saved us from all our sins, past , present, and future.
But the words in Revelation 21:27 stuck in my mind: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” And our Savior said in Matt. 10: [22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. And in John 8: [31] If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.
Jesus said in John 14: [15] If ye love me, keep my commandments. And St. John said in 1John:2: [4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
St. Peter said in Acts 5: [32] And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. Paul said further in Rom. 8: [7] The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. [8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
So what do we base our hope of eternal life on unless we have truly repented and have been given the Holy Spirit, having a mind to obey our Lord and Savior, and then being faithful unto death (Rev. 2: [10] Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.)
Jesus promised in Matt. 5: [6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. And in Matt. 7: [7] Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. And in Luke 11: [13] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
"Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Only those who feel poor in spirit will ever hunger for righteousness. Only the humble seek for the divine strength and crave spiritual power. Experiential righteousness is a pleasure not a duty. Jesus' righteousness is a dynamic love - fatherly-brotherly affection. It is not the negative or thou-shalt-not type of righteousness. How could one ever hunger for something negative, something "not to do" ?
The 2nd. Beatitude is easier to grasp through maturity and exposure to the "hard knocks" of growing up. I never really sought righteousness when my life was sailing along on a smooth path. Pain was my stepping stone to spirituality. Maybe others do not need pain to grow in spirit, but I did. I always took what appeared to be the easier softer way until I found out through suffering that doing the right thing is the easier softer way. There was no nobility behind my choice to take the high road - just desperation..... You can't think yourself into good action, you must act yourself into good thinking.
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Hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
Not sure as to why the main body of my posting was deleted, and I am growing very tired of this infringement of my rights and deletion of my postings for reasons that someone else does not approve of or like what is posted. Their is no copyright infringement either, so why all the deletions every time I post something. I ask this because the mods 'JUNE' want to hide from me so i cannot communicate with them for them to give me an legal reason as to why they keep modifying or deleting these posting, mostly modifying. This is one of the reasons I do not post here anymore, as I am growing tired of this infringements on my rights.... 
