Bible Discussion Replies PAGE 1059

Most Bible readers don't believe this anti-freewill and heaven-only interpretation. It goes against nearly everything Jesus preached. We should all pray that we may know the truth. God bless.

Hello, the Bible doesn't specifically mention it, except to say to honor God with your body and your body is not even your own but God entrusting you with it. We're just spirits/souls inhabiting a body. It's my personal opinion that tattoos don't honor God or the body, are ugly, and is like griffiti that desecrates a body. I personally would be ashamed to be an older person stuck with permanent ugly ink on my skin. I have never understood the thought process behind it, other than some kind of rebellious attitude or a symbol of frivilous youth or perhaps from an insecurity to fit in with temporary friends. None the less, I'm only sharing my opinion in case you're wondering what some people may think about it before you proceed with such a permanent decision. God bless...

1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

GiGi thank you for your kind words. . :-).

Peggy, Good question.

I think we will experience the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but I think we will only "see" Jesus. God, in His essence is Pure Spirit, and does not have a form or body. But when Jesus was incarnated, The Son (Word) became flesh, He was born into a human body. It is a miracle and a mystery. When He resurrected from the dead, He did so bodily. When He appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, He did so bodily. And when He ascended to heaven, He did so bodily. He is in heaven forever as Jesus, the Son of God//Son of Man. So the Son did not shed his human body. The body was glorified, like ours will be. Jesus forever will be able to be seen in this body, though He remains fully God and fully Man. His incorruptible body is made up of flesh and bones, as ours will be.

We will see angels. They have spiritual bodies. The Father and the Spirit do not have a form or body. How we will perceive them, we don't know. But Jesus said that "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Our God planned it so that we will be able to see Him in heaven in the Person of Jesus. But, mankind, being made up of matter and not of only of spirit, may need to "see" God, and God provided for that in Jesus.

This is what I have been taught and I believe based on what I know of Scripture. I hope this helps. Others may have something else to say.

wanting to ask is it a sin for a person to put tattoos on their body.

LaTonya,

Good to hear from you. I, too, have you on my prayer list. I hope your heart is healing as God holds you in His.

Yes, Grace, as intercessors, we often do not even know wo we are praying for and must let the Spirit pray in us. I have ad this happen to me multiple times. I know I am to pray and feel that heavy hand of the Spirit on me to do so, yet I have no information with which to pray, but I do pray in the Spirit until the burden is lifted. Many times I later find out what I was interceding for. Other times, God will put someone on my heart that I haven't had contact with for so long, (like back in high school), so I have learned to pray for whomever God places on my mind and heart.

Grace, you are such a good example of a prayerful woman. I am blessed by you!

Yes, Bro Dan, I believe like you. Hell is for the unbelieving, unrepentant, self-appointed masters of themselves.

We are called to repent, and I believe, like you that it goes beyond being sorry tat sin would send one to hell. It is a real about face towards God by His grace. He gives repentance, and we use our minds and hearts to want this change. We assent to it, and God does it for us. We will begin to despise our sinfulness, and desire to obey God. Isn't this what God has called mankind to do throughout all of the Bible since the beginning? To turn to Him to be saved? By grace our will is changed from being self-willed to being Spirit willed. There is so much more that can be said about the wonderful work of God on behalf of mankind. I don't think we can ever plumb the depths of this great gift.

I know that faith is necessary for salvation to be of effect in a person, but it seems that too many people do not get around to the repentance part of faith. I have heard people give "testimonies" where they recount their past as if it was their "glory days", almost boastful of the wicked way they lived. I, for one, do not wish to talk much about the ways I was not following what God wanted me to do, as if they are a "badge" of some kind. I hate that I did the things that are brought to mind by the" accuser or the brethren." And that is good that I do, because I am seeing my sins as God does, evil, and I hate it like He does. I don't say this to be self-righteous. I say it because I think that in this time many Christians have lost this aspect of repentance or never known it at all. So many have been taught such a minimalistic gospel message. Not to say that the gospel is complicated, because it is simple in many ways. But in our church fellowships today, too many people are afraid to offend someone about sinfulness, that people respond to a watered down "altar call" without much follow-up, teaching, or expectation that they are to "go and sin no more".

Brother Earl,

Great point! That verse can be confusing. I believe we could interpret this verse in two ways; "all men" or "those that believe." You seem to be interpreting it "as all men". It can't see it being both, so it is one or the other. I attribute this confusion being translation, or transmission of the message from Paul to Timothy.

I interpret it as "those that believe". Why? Because we have tons of scripture that reinforces "only those that believe" will be saved.

So yes, we can read this scripture and still believe in Hell.

Love to you Brother.

Alex, the Matthew 20 parable would seem appropriate to you as it shows that the 'goodman of the house' was justifiably free to give whatever amount he wished to his labourers. Whether that was a wise economic decision is not the matter here but that he had the power & resources to give as he desired. Likewise, God is in that position. But does the parable show the difference between doing a day's work for a reward, & living a lifetime of rejection of the offer of God's Love. I don't believe it does. It would be interesting to see whether the 'goodman' would have reached out again to any other idle men who refused the invitation to work, preferring to remain idle. Would the 'goodman', in love & compassion, afterwards gone out to them & given them a penny as well? I think in your reckoning, he would have.

Maybe we could also use the parable in Matthew 13:24-30, which doesn't speak of the Gospel preached but of the end result of those who were of the good seed of God & of the evil seed of the enemy - one is saved, the other burned. I couldn't envisage that parable being amended at verse 30 to read, 'gather the tares & wheat into My barn as they are both My creation, therefore I will change the tares to become My wheat'. Sorry for this absurdity, but to demonstrate a point.

You wrote, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature". Using (your) parable, the Gospel must go out so that all who come will get the same wages of eternal life & a kingdom. True, but what about those who don't come (as maybe those who refused the 'goodman's' offer)? You would say, that even those will 'receive a penny'. If Christ taught that, I might have reason to believe what you say, rather the wicked men & the tares of the field will not inherit life but certain judgement. The Gospel is preached to save men from Hell & have a new life in Christ their Saviour. If you take Hell out of the Gospel, you don't have the Gospel of Christ & of no compulsion to proclaim it.

Amen. Thank you Rick.

Brother Dan:

The verse SAID, command and teach that God is the Saviour of all men, specially those that believe.

You cannot believe that verse and believe in hell also.

God Bless You.

On the way to Mexico from Northern California,about 20 years ago Someone had rented a billboard and it said nothing more than this, pray for Mariana. I prayed diligently over that name for years. I still don't know the meaning of that billboard. But the Lord put such a burden on my heart for Mariana.

I also met a woman named Laura when I was only 16 many years ago. She invited me to church and I went. But she moved away and there was no sign of the church at the house where it was held. I prayed for Laura for many years. Although I have never seen her again.

Sometimes God puts people on our hearts and we carry them throughout our entire life. And we never know the details we just pray for them. Someday we will know.

Thank you Jesus.

Brother Dan:

Matthew 10:28 And fear them not which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul: but fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Brother Dan the word translated hell in this verse is the word Gehenna.

The Old Testament refers to this as Hinnon, a valley outside of Jerusalem's walls, at the time Christ was on earth this valley was used as the cities dump.

The garbage and trash and the dead bodies of criminals were thrown here.

They had fire burning in that dump and worms were there eating the flesh of dead bodies. Where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.

Christ was using Gehenna fire to show how he uses judgement to destroy the trash and unwanted things in our lives.

That fire is now quenched and those worms are gone, because that dump site is now a city park.

If the translators had left the word Gehenna in the verse, as they left it in tact in the Old Testament, instead of changing it to the word hell. There would not be so much deception.

Brother Dan, the word Gehenna is used 11 time in the bible and translated as hell.

James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is it among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire OF GEHENNA (translated hell).

Brother Dan, the WORKS in your body are not you WORKS, their God's works, you gave you life, for Christ's LIFE, now it's no longer you, but CHRIST IN YOU, doing the WORKS.

Philippians 2:13 For it is GOD which WORKETH IN YOU both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.

Jesus is the root, we are the branches, without me (in you) you can do nothing. I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.

Brother Dan the old you (sinful flesh) no longer exist, it died on the cross.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ......

Yes I believe that we need to pick up our cross as Jesus our savior did and we can not continue to seen because our lord we will keep and forgive us , we need to change our life each day to being able to gain salvation.

God can read in the heart of each one of us whay didn't see the darkness in juda escariot

Amen Bro Earl.

Those 3 verses are great, but - only if we believe them.

I believe all 3 verses, and I agree God's Commandments instruct and teach. For those that don't believe, and instruct others to ignore them - they will suffer the consequences per Matthew 5:19

God Bless

Brother Dan:

1 Timothy 4:10 For therefore we labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially those that believe.

1 Timothy 4:11 These things command and teach.

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach man so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

God Bless You.

Grace as I have told you before you are my Angel. I will be praying for you and your family . May God continue to be the lamp on to your feet and the light onto your path . Your three kids are blessed to have a Mother like you . Prayer changes things Amen.

We can agree to disagree. Please see John 14:21:

John 14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Also see Matthew 5:17-18:

Matthew 5:17-18

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Great works are done by those that taught us. Some of those same people display pagan Christmas trees. We are all doing the best we can and correcting ourselves as we learn and understand better. I do not believe that the belief in Jesus Christ means we no longer have to keep God's Statutes, Laws, and Commandments.

If it is a tall pedestal, it is because of these standards which are high but obtainable. Please see 1 John 5:1-3:

1 John 5:1-3

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Hi Keith. Back then it wasn't uncommon for men to have more than one wife. I don't think there was simply a lot of people. But we now know that, that isn't Yah's best for us. You also have to remember that Yah loved them. Yah makes honorable vessels and vessels for dishonor. He gives passes to people, and he does not give that same pass for others. You also remember that these two men were rich, plus they knew Yah. So yeah, that is why we have to watch the way we come against people because they may be really favored of Yah.

Bro Earl,

I agree we must listen and believe God. He promises that he will Judge and punish the wicked/sinners.

Proverbs 11:21"Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

God tells us to love our enemies, and forgive those against us. We are to be like children, and lambs, just as Christ was our example. Matthew 18: 21-22

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Meaning indefinitely!

Remember Brother, this life is very short, the next one is for eternity. We can pick up our cross each day and bear it, for this short time period, because we can see our everlasting reward!

God Bless

Brother Keith, may Christ grace us with HIS wisdom and His understanding.

The Old Testament was meant to cast a shadow, the shadow is not what's REAL.

Christ came through the flesh, by the house of David. David is a shadow of the OLD BLOODY covenant taken with a physical bloody sword. David was not allowed to build God's temple.

Solomon is a shadow of the NEW PEACEFUL Covenant taken with THE SWORD of truth, the word of God.

Soloman (a shadow of CHRIST, filled with wisdom and knowledge to govern his kingdom) and build God's temple, whose temple we are.

Now concerning all his wives, that was also a shadow of Christ and all of creation being his WIFE.

God Bless You.

Bro Earl,

Yes, I do believe in Hell, and I do believe that God will send sinners that don't repent from sin to Hell. Jesus speaks of hell in this verse in a very plain manner - easy to understand:

Matthew 10:28

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Do you not believe this verse? Do you just ignore Jesus?

Earl, there is no salvation unless we repent. There is no repentance without a change to our former lifestyle. There is no eternal life without turning from sin to Jesus for salvation.

Many people are sorry for their sins, yet not enough to change their life. True repentance will be sincere, and will include genuine sorrow, and should compel an earnest desire to change, and discontinue former sins.

A Christian that accepts and follows Jesus will never in this life, be sin free. They should however," struggle and toil" to be sin less. This is our cross to bear! Jesus tells us to pick up "our cross" and follow him! Matthew 16:24-25

Today, the largest crowd that yells the loudest about faith/grace and nothing else, are looking for the easy way out. Yes Jesus died for our sins, but not so that we can continue in our sinful ways. We need to pick up our crosses too, and follow Jesus! That takes action on our part!

There are "no free tickets to heaven".

God Bless

Amen and Amen Bro.. Earl GBU

Precious Savior, We come before you today wit the request made by our dear brother David. His lifting up Deanna, who is hospitalized. Thank you for helping her to recover well. Please make her recovery complete without any complications. Lord, we lift up Kristie for the need that David knows. We ask you to touch David's coworkers who do not know you yet. May your holy word reach them with the good news of your salvation. May their hearts be readied to receive this gospel and turn them from unbelief to belief and trust in you. We also pray for David's daughters and families that you will answer the needs that David knows they have this day. Bless David with your peace in knowing that his prayer requests have been prayed for and that you answer our prayers according to your goodness. Thank you, Lord Jesus. You are awesome and loving. We praise you!

Grace, I am agreeing in prayer with you for all these things you are asking our Lord for Ariana. Thank you for being so faithful in prayer on tis site for those who ask. You are a blessing to so many.

Ariana,

Thank you for sharing. May your recovery go very well and the new heart you received remain strong and healthy. May your body fully accept this heart without any complications. May you regain your strength quickly. God Bless You more and more each day!

Earl Wow.

Cowboy:

God says, You don't CHOSE me, I CHOSE YOU.

You don't contribute one single thing to your salvation.

Ephesians 1:11 In whom we also obtain an inheritance, being predestinated according to the PURPOSE of him who WORKETH ALL THINGS after the counsel of HIS WILL.

Philippians 1:29 For unto you IT IS GIVEN on the behalf of Christ, to BELIEVE ON HIM .....

1 Peter 1:21 Who BY HIM do BELIEVE in God .....

Salvation is a GIFT of GOD, through GRACE and MERCY.

Ezekiel 36:27 And I WILL put my spirit within you, and (I WILL) CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my commandments and DO THEM.

Philippians 2:13 For it is GOD that worketh in you both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.

You do nothing, it's all the WORK OF GOD.

And they will say unto me in that day, LORD DID WE NOT DO, and he will say depart you workers of iniquity.

Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh and keeps MY WORKS unto the end, to him will I give POWER OVER the nations.

God Bless YOU.