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Analyze your post, it doesn't make sense. What are you trying to say?
Most people think they want to go to heaven, thinking it's a fun, peaceful place. They think it's cruel to send non-believers to hell.
Yes, hell is going to be a horrible place...but how fun is heaven, being in the presence of an almighty, all-holy God going to be for a sinner that hates God? I guess I was just poking a hole in the idea that heaven is for nice people--regardless of their faith or no faith in God.
Most people think they want to go to heaven, thinking it's a fun, peaceful place. They think it's cruel to send non-believers to hell.
Yes, hell is going to be a horrible place...but how fun is heaven, being in the presence of an almighty, all-holy God going to be for a sinner that hates God? I guess I was just poking a hole in the idea that heaven is for nice people--regardless of their faith or no faith in God.
Not having faith, or not believing, in god does not equate to one hating god. One cannot hate that which they do not believe exits.
You dont hate pink unicorns, do you?
Or are you trying to say that god views all those that dont have faith in him as hating him?
Okay, let me see if I can put this right. People say God loves us like we love our own kids. Now, would any parent have a bunch of kids and say, "you do exactly as I say or I will punish you forever by burning you eternally..." And the fact that he put demons and such down here with the kids that he "loves" so much. Wouldn't that be like putting our own kids in a den of lions? Something doesn't add up here.
Not even a fundamentalist Christian would stick their kid's hands in a fire to punish them, but then they think it is just for God to do so. And then you have the Jehovah's Witnesses that say that he would just kill them, so they would be dead forever. No loving parent would do that either. If God is Love, then we are all saved as I believe we are. There is a good book on that subject titled, If God is Love by Pastor Philip Gulley, and if God is Love he is not going to send anyone to any so-called hell.
Take a look at Strong's Exhaustive Concordence. Hades and Sheol which are translated as "hell" is translated as "the common grave of mankind." I once told this to a Pentacostal minister and he agreed with me. I once talk with a minister at a seminary, and he said that that was correct, but that you can't tell this to Christians because they don't want to hear the truth.
Last edited by Mattie Jo; 03-11-2009 at 03:26 PM..
Okay, let me see if I can put this right. People say God loves us like we love our own kids. Now, would any parent have a bunch of kids and say, "you do exactly as I say or I will punish you forever by burning you eternally..." And the fact that he put demons and such down here with the kids that he "loves" so much. Wouldn't that be like putting our own kids in a den of lions? Something doesn't add up here.
God doesn't do what you seem to think He does. Somebody's been misleading you.
I love pink unicorns. If they had the power to keep me in their presence for ever it'd be cool.
And yes--lack of faith = hate God. He's made it abundantly clear that he exists...if you open your eyes and look around.
it was not stated like this in the bible (if i remember correctly), but there was a prophecy: "the blind will see... the lame will walk..."
and healing was done individually, with the accompanying advice having that special meaning only and tailor-made to the understanding of that person, although recorded for a general public to read later on.
will this different kind of abundance be(come) understandable to you, in its subtlety?
man said, "I am your child, why do you punish me?".
God said, "I don't know you".
So who's the children of God again? Only those who love God and Jesus Christ. And don't compare wheat with weeds, and sheep with goats.
Of course, there are always those younger sons who decided to leave the farther, to experience through pains then decided to come back to their father.
Okay, let me see if I can put this right. People say God loves us like we love our own kids. Now, would any parent have a bunch of kids and say, "you do exactly as I say or I will punish you forever by burning you eternally..." And the fact that he put demons and such down here with the kids that he "loves" so much. Wouldn't that be like putting our own kids in a den of lions? Something doesn't add up here.
God loved us so much he sent Jesus to this earth. He spoke of a new way. He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind. He went to the cross, an horrific death he did not deserve. Before that he was thrashed with horrific whips - satan tried to kill him before he went to the cross. Every lash, every spit, curse, the nails hammered into tender tendons and flesh - all endured.....BECAUSE God loved the world so much, he sent his only Son, that whosoever believeth on him, will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3 16.
But, we choose. Do we accept Gods wonderful gift of eternal life - or do we reject it and nd up in hell. God DID NOT MAKE HELL FOR HUMANS, he made it for the devil and the demons. But mankind turned from God - and is still turning away from God. Their father is the devil (Jesus himself spoke plainly of this - you can read it in the gospels). Only when we are REDEEMED/Brought back, by the blood shed for us on the cross, are we made new.
God has his own. He's always had his own. God does not desire anyone to be lost. There is a way. God did all he could. He is still calling people today, but they have hard hearts, full of bitterness and disbelief.
Only God - through Jesus - can make us his. His very own. And God does look after his children/his own. And no matter what this earth throws at us, God - our father - has a home for those who turn to him, in heaven.
The purpose of God to save all men is as unalterable as His nature of love and His character of holiness
Quote:
Paul, in I Tim. 2:1-6, gives the answer! "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL MEN ... for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who WILL HAVE A-L-L M-E-N TO BE SAVED, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a RANSOM FOR ALL, to be testified in due time." This text is one of rare beauty. It is indeed like a precious diamond, the effulgence of whose radiance dazzles the mind. It is a drop of pure distilled essence, whose fragrance fills the rooms of the heart. It is a joy forevermore and a challenge to everyone who reads it with an understanding heart. It should be engraved upon the heart of every saint of God. There is so much depth to that text that I am afraid that we often do not even perceive it. It is like a beautiful sky of deep rich blue and one cannot even begin to grasp the vast depth above us. So it is with this passage!
The few laws that Scripture contains are rays of light revealing only small portions of God's will, much as the words I write are parts of the thought I wish to express. He who would know the complete will of God must look for the larger concept, discover the real objective. One main objective is given us in our text for this study: "I exhort therefore, that ... supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for ALL MEN ... for ... God our Saviour ... WILL HAVE A-L-L M-E-N TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." The will of God is so far beyond our usual thoughts that we simply cannot understand it unless the Spirit enlightens us. The eternal God WILL have all men to be saved! We need to ask God to fill our minds with this great truth, by the Holy Spirit.
I have met a few people who argued that when Paul states that "God will have all men to be saved" he means that God "wishes" or "would like" for all men to be saved, and then, of course, these folk are always quite certain that what God "wishes" or "would like" to be really stands very little chance of ever being fulfilled. How foolish!
I would go so far as to say that it is the teachings of Christ that help us along the way, not that we have to accept him as the only savior.
This is a message that I can accept and brings me closer to God, the one of hell and damnnation only divides people and causes many to hate each other. They seem to think that only their own church is worthy of heaven, whereas the church next door isn't the right church, so they all go to hell. I have had two Pentacostal friends try to preach to each other to save one another because they didn't go to the same church. Sad but true. So many are bent on hellfire and damning others that they cannot see what God is saying. Most will not even read the article. It is very sad.
Last edited by Mattie Jo; 03-12-2009 at 06:31 AM..
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