Bible Questions & Discussion PAGE 342

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Were Cain and Abel twins? I know what Genesis 4:1-2 KJV says but Genesis 4:2 KJV seems to leave room for the possibility that Abel was born with in minutes of Cain, or even at a later time depending on interpurtation of verse.

Lena, I will lift Jan up in prayer today,

Dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus we lift up to You Jan. You know her through and through and have allowed this cancer to be in her. We ask that You bring healing to her that Your name may be rightly glorified. Take away all of the cancer cells and restore her to strength and health. Grant her peace in this process and faith to trust You in all things. Amen.

Thanks Lena, Much love.

Not a problem at all, brother. This happens to me quite often when someone else's comment is posted while I'm in the process of typing mine out. Anyway, if both comments agree in substance, then the enquirer has further affirmation to his/her question.

Thank you , Lena. I will be praying for Jan.

I meant that Sunday(not Sabbath) wasn't a Catholic invention.

Sorry Chris, I didn't see your answer before posting mine. GBU

Hi Dana. You're referring to Hebrews 4:8: "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day."

In the Greek language, 'Joshua, or Yehoshua' (from the Hebrew), is translated as 'Jesus, or Iesous'. And we find the translators making the same change in Acts 7:45. So, the KJV translators are correct in understanding this Hebrew to Greek change, though as you wrote, it can be misleading to those unfamiliar with the account or reading through those verses very quickly. We can see from Hebrews 4:8, that the writer is referring back to verse 5 ("And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest": Psalm 95:11), & even all the way back to Hebrews 4:1 when the subject of 'Rest' is brought up.

Even though most Bible translations use the word 'Joshua', they are of course translating it correctly, but not according to the original Greek, which the KJV uses, & this name translates to 'Jesus'. If Greek was spoken in the Old Testament days, by all accounts, Joshua, who took over from Moses' leadership, would have been called 'Iesous, or Jesus'.

As for the RC Church changing the Sabbath to Sunday, I can't comment, not being RC. But the Bible shows that after Jesus died & rose from the dead, the early Church worshiped together on the Lord's Day, the first day of the week ( Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 6:2): Sunday. Sunday, to the Church then & now, never became the new Sabbath Day - Saturday always has been the correct Jewish Sabbath Day.

Hi Papawj

Hebrews 6:6,

"If they shall fall away, (it is impossible) to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

Pay attention to that "it is impossible to renew them unto repentance". This obviously is not you, is it? People that fit to that verse never worry about things they do, they don't feel any sort of guilt, they would never repent. So stop worrying, you have been forgiven. Remember the prodigal son, his father was always waiting for him to come back and was ready to give him his previous place in the house. GBU

Jesus Christ loves you! Even if every human being has left you alone, Christ will never abandon you. He has always, and will always, love you. Ask Him to save your soul. He wants to help us all. He makes my life worth living.

In Acts 10, read what the Lord told Peter when he was on the rooftop in a vision. It was not about water baptism. And we know it was not about food.

Acts 10:17, " Now while peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate",

V18, " And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there."

V19, "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee".

V20, "Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:for I have sent them".

V21, "Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ya are come?"

V22, " And they said, Cornelius the centurion, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear the words of thee."

I do not see anywhere in the bible where the Lord was upset at Peter speaking or preaching water baptism.

Show me.

Also, the Lord gave Peter the keys to the kingdom in Matthew 16:19,

"And I will give unto thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". Peter preached Acts 2:38 & he was not in error doing so.

Why would the commendatore say that Hebrews four is talking about Joshua? There is no way it is talking about Joshua. The whole book is clearly written about the trinity and faith. Why in the middle of a sentence would the writer all of a sudden switch the name of Jesus from Jesus to be someone other than Jesus?

I believe that by saying that it is Joshua and not Jesus, you mislead people from the rest in the Lord and the day! Which it clearer states was never changed from the Sabbath of the Lord our God the creator of the world. (The Catholic church changed the Sabbath to Sunday. They say that is the mark of their ecclesiastical authority. During the reformation the Pope told Martin Luther to follow the Bible and its authority. Although he did not, sadly.)

So, if the Jesus being used in the 'Greek' in Hebrews is Joshua then wouldn't it stand to reason that all the Jesus references would be as well?

What did Jacob do to make the animals turn out the way that they did? vs. 25-43

Was the man of God killed by the lion Josiah? If so, why did king Jeroboam trick (lie) him into coming to his house to eat bread and drink water? Did it have something to do with the king's sinful alter practices? I feel the man killed by the lion made it to heaven.

I started going to a small independent Baptist church, the preacher talks about how the church is tight for money and the church building rent is a lot, there's no information given out in detail about the church finances, he pushed everyone about tithing, and mis quotes Malachi about robbing God, I read somewhere in Bible not to be apart of false preacher, this is a small church around 50 members, should we find a church that teaches new testament about giving?

God is love. Let's love God together.

God wants all likeminded churches to come together for time is running out on us. How can we help accomplish this task? Following Gods will in my life, can I get a witness?

Mathhew 24:29-31 iare these verses saying that the rapture is post tribulation? i've always believed in a pre tribulation rapture, now not sure. Still hope its pre tribulation :)

I really enjoy searching the Holy Scriptures, It makes me feel wonderful.

ISRAEL MY ELECT.

Isaiah 45:4.

Part 1.

Romans 2:25-29.

Colossians 3:11-12

and Galatians 3:27-39

These scriptures can trip you up when we use them for doctrine when talking about NATIONAL ISRAEL.

Some day God will open the eyes of Israel to show them that all their services was pointing them through the same door that the Gentiles goes through to get to the father. "CHRIST".

There will be two folds that will come together under one shepherd. There's no advantage to either fold. That's what Colossians 3:11-12 and Galatians 3:27-39 is saying. Angels, People, The Church and Israel is called elect in the Bible.

Israel and the Church has different origins and has a different path and destiny.

( Don't mistake that for having a different path for salvation.)

They have a separate purpose. When Jesus speaks of Israel as his elect in Matthew 24. he speaks of Israel as a nation. National Israel.

The Church isn't National Israel or "The new Israel. Is the Church Jacob also?

They're both are Chosen or elected by God to do the will of God for different purposes.

The bible makes references to both National Israel and the remnant.

Paul makes that distinction in Romans when he says all Israel is not Israel and when he mentions Kinsman of the flesh. Paul hammers away at this in Romans chapters 9,10 and 11.

Daniel 12:1 Speaks of National Israel.

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the ( CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE ): and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time (THY PEOPLE) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

"Daniels people is not the Church"

See key verses Daniel 9:24-27 in

Part 2.

Jerry,

If you desire to be restored in faith and live for God, then you have not fallen so far as to be outside of the reach of God's grace and salvation.

One who has completely fallen away would be one who was a believer and completely renounced the Lord and faith in Him to the point of continuously stubbornly refuse to return to God and follow after God.

I hope this does not truly describe you since you desire to amend your ways. Don't give up hope. God has put this desire within you and He has given you this "wake up" call to bring you back to Him. Take Him up on this and ask Him to grant you full repentance and a full return to faith in Jesus that cannot be shaken again. He wants to save You and secure You in His kingdom.

I think, Negandjo, that you're asking about people who are referred to as 'pagans', and not the Italian sports car. If so, the dictionary defines a pagan as 'a person or community that holds to a polytheistic religion (or, a religion that believes in many gods)'.

These would create idols of stone or wood to worship them, or even the worshiping of nature (trees, water, heavenly bodies). Sometimes, the word 'pagan' can be used of an uncivilized person or an irreligious person. There were many people recorded in the Bible that were pagans - basically all those who were not of Israel; Israel who believed in the One & True God. These other people were many, such as, the Canaanites, Amorites, Jebusites, Philistines, etc. Even the Greeks & Romans, recorded in the New Testament, worshiped multiple gods, classifying them as pagans.

But when some of these people left their gods of stone & turned to the God of Heaven, their lives were changed, they were forgiven of their sins, they received the sure hope of life after death to forever be with the Holy God & His Son, Jesus Christ. The gods of their making could never give this hope nor give them peace in their hearts.

Hi Jachin. You could look at these references: 1 Timothy 2:9,10; 1 Peter 3:2-5. As you would have read in those passages, the Bible does not give the exact types of clothes to be worn, since dress styles in different cultures will vary, but by holding the position that women (& men) should dress modestly, carefully, that which truly portrays godliness, we won't go wrong.

Page 2.

I think this is where our difference lies: does the Great Tribulation equate to God's Wrath, or does God's Wrath only appear after a 'tribulation' the world experiences, which includes believers also? How we perceive this, determines a pre or post-trib position.

As far as the 'mystery'. I agree with what you've written, that the mystery shows the bodily re-constitution of the resurrected & the raptured, but I also see that Paul is refuting the belief that 'one has to first experience death to receive the resurrection': a belief that was held by the Pharisees, that the dead would rise, but no disclosure was given of the fate of the living at that time. Paul shared what was unknown, that both the dead & living would arise to meet their Lord & a physical re-constitution of both would be necessary (obviously, the Pharisees would never accede to this belief). And I also agree with you, that the 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 on its own does not reflect a pre-trib rapture position - rather, that Paul's thoughts were directed to the resurrection. Yet in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9, Paul continues, writing about the Day of the Lord, with its associated destructions. If we then take verse 4 on its own ("But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief"), then it appears that the believers must needs get ready to face that awful day, as they now have received this prior warning. Rather, I believe that Paul was stating that the believers were not in the dark about this time that it should have to face it, rather they were God's children ('of the light, of ready mind & expectant hope'): 'For God has not appointed (them) to His Wrath, but to their salvation (from God's Wrath)'. If then the Great Tribulation & God's Wrath are synonymous, as I believe, then believers won't experience the Wrath meant for the world, but will be taken away before the world agonizes under it.

Page 1.

Thanks again Jimbob for your thoughts on this. Tribulation or Great Tribulation? I see a difference. The apostles, the early Church & believers today are not exempt from tribulation; it will come to us as declared ( Matthew 13:21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 8:35; 2 Corinthians 7:4; etc): not just physical hardships, but certainly the exercises by the enemy against us, even to testings of faith & martyrdom. We are not insulated from any of these, nor should we expect to be, but what of the Tribulation sent by God our Father? You shared 1 Thessalonians 3:4, "For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know." You understand that Paul was referring to the Great Tribulation, of God's Wrath. I don't see that at all in his discourse, rather, that Paul was describing his own afflictions (vv 3,7 & coupled with 1 Thessalonians 2:2,9,14). I see a clear difference between the two expressions of Tribulation: that which comes to all of us, & that which is only directed to haters of God & His Christ.

What then are we not appointed to? To our daily tribulations, even to suffering or dying for Christ, or to God's Wrath to unbelievers? I note that you agree to this: that believers won't face the outpouring of God's Wrath against a Christ-rejecting World, by your understanding that this outpouring will happen only after the believers are caught away (i.e. post-tribulation). The contention then is: is God's Wrath the same as the Great Tribulation? I believe the Great Tribulation is still to come - we haven't in the least begun to experience anything of it now. When it starts, we know that the time of the end is at hand and believers will be caught away before the world begins to feel the Mighty Hand of God against them. (cont'd).

Thank you Gigi and Bmorris for your replies and encouragement but the part I can't get past is, "For it is impossible".

Jimbob,

No worries. I wouldn't say that I am offended. I've been told that I was wrong before. You're not the first. You are the first person however to insinuate that my eyes have been blinded to the truth. And as far as being "deceived," by believing in a pre-tribulation rapture, I don't think I'm being deceived at all. You see, like you, I also believe God's word is true. Like you, I let the Word of God be my final authority. Like you, I believe scripture interprets itself.

I do have one more question for you. If this 7-year tribulation period happens in our lifetime, and you believe the church will go through not only the first half, but also the last 3-1/2 years known as the Great Tribulation, what do you believe our function will be as a church while God's wrath is being poured out on this earth?

Again, I am not offended. If we disagree with each other then we just disagree. I have no problem with you simply telling me that you disagree. That sounds much better than insinuating that my eyes have been blinded to the truth.

Hello Negandjo. I don't know the answer to the question you have given, but if I might make an assumption. Are you referring to the two men that Joshua sent to spy out Jericho and these men arrived at the house of Rahab, the harlot?

If that is your question (from Joshua 2:1), then it was Joshua who took the initiative to send out the spies, based upon what the LORD had commanded him to do (in Joshua 1:2). I don't think that Joshua knew about Rahab, as nothing was known about this city or the new territory they were about to enter & conquer. And the two spies themselves, may not even have known much about Rahab. We can only guess about this; my thought is that Rahab probably ran some sort of inn, as well as being a woman of ill repute (or, maybe she once was such a person, but the stigma stuck with her & attached to her name). So the two spies probably took whatever accommodation they could easily get - it just happened to belong to Rahab & God had planned this & subsequently used Rahab to help Joshua & Israel overcome the city. And after the city was razed to the ground & all living were killed, Rahab & her family members were spared as promised & taken out to live with God's people ( Joshua 6:23,25). I hope that's what you were looking for. If not, please let us know.

I recommend that you immerse yourself in the Word and prayer and biblical truth. The stage you are at makes you vulnerable to spiritual attack from the enemy and that may be why you are stuck. Contrary to the other commenters advice I believe you must be active in your defence against the enemy and that is a life long job my friend. So how? Well for a start your eyes are wide open you say, but are they open spiritually? If they were you would recognise the attempts of the enemy in stalling your spiritual growth. So first things first: 1: Pray for wisdom and discernment. Pray actively throughout the day, at random times short prayers, long prayers but always start with praising your Father in Heaven.

2: Discern the spirits that are causing you your problems for example the spirit of anxiety, the spirit of doubt, named spirits like Leviathan and Jezebel and curses or sorcery from others or via portals like music, symbols, films or objects.

3: Bind and cast out verbally those named spirits or curses or evil assignments in the name of Jesus Christ. Keep doing this as often as you feel the need to, cast them out with intent to the pit, in Jesus name.

4: Listen to the spoken Bible throughout the day and night, play it as you sleep, when you walk, drive and are at the gym. Certain verses will jump out at you even wake you up, bookmark those and go back to them.

5: Read the Bible daily, any part that interests you. The truth about the Bible is that it reads to you, just immerse yourself in it, let it wash over you, it will read to you and you will not want to watch films TV or listen to secular music many of which are demonic distractions.

6: Walk in the spirit not in the flesh, keep your eyes on heaven and be fully armed for the spiritual battle going on around you. Find other Christians who resonate with the truths you are learning and who also walk in the spirit. Do not be fooled by those that are lukewarm, you need fire to fuel your journey and fight.

Jimbob;

Have you every considered that you might not be seeing, we all fall into this sin.

John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If you were blind, you should have no sin: but now ye saw WE SEE; therefore your sin remaineth.

God Bless You!