Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How do you attain eternal life? You live the philosophy that, throughout one's lifetime, a person goes through many different death-to-life experiences in preparation for the ultimate death-to-life. In Buddhism it often requires a person to actually go through a spiritual death and rebirth in order to become a Buddha. Ancient Egyptian, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Norse religion, Scientology, among others...plants the seeds of eternal life by teaching the philosophy of life after death. The Tibetan Book Of The Dead is a guidebook and a source of compassion for anyone traveling the straits of the in-between. In Christianity and Norse, it is giving up your soul as a personal sacrifice, at one with, or in communion with, the spirit of Jesus or Odin in death, and then being reborn spiritually. (I recommend Odin over Jesus)
ETA: Another thing about seeing God in a bad light. God is just, but He's also fair. The punishment must fit the crime. So, for those of you who cling to the old, "burn for ever," let me ask you this. Is this a fair judgment?
No, it's not and furthermore to say God allows the wicked to burn for ever is saying God's anger is NEVER satisfied. Is this really the 'image' you want of our God?
God's anger will be satisfied. How? When the wicked are burned till they are consumed.
Again, common sense when thinking about these things goes a long way.
Let's see, tormented forever, or cremated while yet still alive, ...until consumed?
It appears to me, that when common sense died; nobody went to the funeral.
Well that is a bit extreme, thrill. But they DO need to get to know God and Jesus because THAT IS eternal life. They need to sincerely ask Jesus and God to come into their heart as they would ask a very close friend to come over for dinner. No pomp, No circumstance, No foofarah, No pious groveling, No apologies for unworthiness, No silly obeisance antics in anticipation of some religious miracle or reward . . . nothing but a sincere love and desire to know them better. Then . . . be silent and wait. Be sensitive to any bodily sensations that you have nothing to do with and no way to explain. I believe you will not be disappointed and it will open up a whole new relationship with God and Jesus. They are not distant from us . . . they are within and accessible to us all. Their love is real and unconditional. But like a baby in the womb the only form of communication with the Father is feeling the kicks and movements.
I will say, Mystic, my one-liners are not meant to be taken seriously as much as they are meant to be a guidepost to how my thoughts are veering. I am the first to admit there are lots of good things being said in here that people should listen to and follow. They are coming from the likes of you, Mystic, legoman, Eusebius, a few other middle-of-the roaders who find a comfortable balance between the extremes in the Bible and common sense---that's all I ask for is common sense.
Fundamentalism's sole objective is to foist the dogmas of man onto a person's decision-making process by robbing people of their common sense. Their whole purpose for preaching is to blot out a person's right to reason out a dictum in the Bible by saying it's dangerous because the devil, satan, the "enemy" and other descriptive if ridiculous labels for fictional demons will steer you away from God if you reason for yourself rather than crack a Bible and follow its dictums to the letter as the sole means of achieving salvation. Rubbish!
Thanks for the kind words CM. One of the things L.Ray Smith and company are famous for doing is taking passages out of context to prove their false teachings. Here are several examples:
First:
Isa. 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
But they leave off v. 17:
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
Then:
Isaiah 45:
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
But they leave off vv. 24,25:
24 Surely, shall one say, in Yahweh have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In Yahweh shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Also:
1 Jhn.2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
But they leave off vv 3-6:
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Next:
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
But they leave off v. 15:
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
These examples constitute what I call, 'making the Scriptures say what you want them to say.'
This reminds me of a story. A man was traveling and stopped at a roadside cafe. He sat down at the counter and saw a sign on the wall above that said, "There is no God." Psa. 53:1
Well the man always carried a few NT+Psalm/Prov. with him so before he left he opened it up to Psa. 53, underlined the first part of the sentence and left it on the counter, with a dollar tip as a marker.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. Psa. 53:1
Again, a perfect example of 'fooling ppl' into thinking the Scriptures say something they don't.
mshipmate, what is it you think the bolded are saying? I read them and don't see "only some will be saved", which seems to be what you are implying.
mshipmate, what is it you think the bolded are saying? I read them and don't see "only some will be saved", which seems to be what you are implying.
I wasn't saying, 'only some will be saved,' I was showing how taking a verse or two out of context can appear to change the whole 'subject' of a given chapter in the Scriptures. That's why I told the story about Psa. 53 and the sign saying "There is no God."
What many ppl fail to realize is there were not chapter breaks in the original Scriptures. They were put in later [and numbering] to help us find, more easily, where certain passages are.
I have also mentioned before how ppl, back in the day, who knew the Scriptures well, would say a line or two, one to another and they would know what was meant. I used what we call Psa. 23 as and example. Back then instead of saying, something such as, "Psalm 23 is one of my favorite Psalms," one refer to this section of Scripture by reciting, "The Lord is my Shepherd..."
Last edited by mshipmate; 05-08-2014 at 01:48 PM..
And eternal life is exactly that. God imparts His very own life to those who simply trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Eternal life is a continual never ending personal and intimate relationship with God that begins at the moment of faith in Christ Jesus. When the soul of the believer separates from the body, it enters into the presence of God in heaven. And in the future, the soul will reunite with the resurrected body.
Mike,
Peter says in acts 5:32 that God gives the Holy Ghost to Those whoOBEY Him, How can a believer be eternally saved if he has not committed himself to obey Him?
Mike,
Peter says in acts 5:32 that God gives the Holy Ghost to Those whoOBEY Him, How can a believer be eternally saved if he has not committed himself to obey Him?
Amen. It's interesting also the word 'obey' has the idea of persuading God to give us the Spirit. This would also take more than a 'moment' of belief.
The Lord is my Shepard ... RELATIONSHIP.
I shall not want ... SUPPLYING NEEDS.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures ... REST.
He leads me besides still waters ... REFRESHMENT.
He restores my soul ... HEALING.
He leads me in the path of righteousness ... GUIDANCE.
For His name's sake ... PURPOSE.
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ... AND LIFE.
I will fear not evil ... PROTECTION.
For you are with me ... FAITHFULNESS.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me ... CORRECTION.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies ... HOPE.
You anoint my head with oil ... HOLINESS.
My cup is overflowing ... ABUNDANCE.
Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ... BLESSINGS.
And, I will always dwell in the house of the Lord ... SECURITY.
I wasn't saying, 'only some will be saved,' I was showing how taking a verse or two out of context can appear to change the whole 'subject' of a given chapter in the Scriptures. That's why I told the story about Psa. 53 and the sign saying "There is no God."
What many ppl fail to realize is there were not chapter breaks in the original Scriptures. They were put in later [and numbering] to help us find, more easily, where certain passages are.
I have also mentioned before how ppl, back in the day, who knew the Scriptures well, would say a line or two, one to another and they would know what was meant. I used what we call Psa. 23 as and example. Back then instead of saying, something such as, "Psalm 23 is one of my favorite Psalms," one refer to this section of Scripture by reciting, "The Lord is my Shepherd..."
Your "there is no God" quote is clearly out of context, actually just a partial quote which gives the opposite intended meaning. This isn't true with your other quotes you listed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
