Discuss Acts 13 Page 3

Hello again Mr. Rutkin, I was just now reading John 10:10-16,

Yesterday I sent my reply even though I felt it half completed of all the scriptural references I would have liked to include of resemblances within the New Testament. It was very late & I knew it was a good stopping point of study. If you would like those, please let me know.

I am glad Rick responded about David's sin because that is frequently a thought worth addressing, when discussing, how? Why? David was addressed as "a man after mine own heart" Acts 13:22. I have many views & some scriptures on that issue; If you would like those too.

However to just address Acts 13:22,

Today I found another powerful reference: John 10:11,12,15, David's similarly 1 Samuel 17:34,35,36,37, 1 Chronicles 21:17,

Matthew 18:11-14,

Again, please let me know if you would like more New Testament scriptures.

Hopefully this was helpful.

Acts 13:22

I used to believe it was because of the Psalms; David was honest before the LORD.

1 Samuel 16:13,19-22, though anointed, waited for appointed time,

1 Samuel 16:23, made evil spirits depart,

1 Samuel 17:13-15, David went back in obedience to serve family.

1 Samuel 17:17-22, Continued obedience of Parent,

1 Samuel 17:28, Not believed in by family members,

1 Samuel 17:45-47, love & zeal for Israel,

1 Samuel 17:39,48,50, risked his life for Israel,

These are a few I found. Hope these help.

What are some reasons why David was a man after God's own heart in Acts 13:22?

The Holy Spirit did exist & manifest itself in people prior. Genesis 1:2, Genesis 6:3, Genesis 41:38, Judges 3:10, Judges 6:3, Judges 11:29, 1 Samuel 11:6-7, 1 Samuel 16:13, 2 Kings 2:9,

1 Samuel 16:14, 1 Samuel 19:20,

There are more references. Here are some more study references. Hope this helps.

appears to be different in the manifestation unto many people at the same time with many events occurring.

Also people being able to transfer the HOLY Spirit to another seems to appear after CHRIST was resurrected from death & the grave. Acts 1, Acts 9:17,31, Acts 10:44, Acts 11:15,16, Acts 13:52, Acts 19:1-11,

Ephesians 5:9, Galatians 3:14, Romans 8:1,

Please read the WORD of GOD,

David fought confidently. 1 Samuel 17:26,32,33-36,37 & with faith because of GOD's deliverances in past & knowing GOD's love for Israel. Maybe that's why GOD called him: 1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22,

Hopefully this is helpful.

There seems to be several times that occurs throughout the Bible, Is it to show us to view each person individually? Several were opposites, yet similar; is that to inspire us to be our best? Luke 7:19-28,

Interestingly Saul, Saul/Paul, 1 Samuel 15, Acts 13:9, Saul continued to do wickedly, Saul/Paul repentantly changed Acts 8,

Tamar, Tamar, 2 Samuel 13, 2 Samuel 13:19-20, Genesis 38, 1 Chronicles 2:4, Ruth 4:12,

Manasseh, Manasseh: Joshua 17:1-18, Genesis 48:14,20, 2 Chronicle 30:11, Psalms 108:8, Jeremiah 15:4, 2 Chronicles 33:1, Isaiah 9:28, 2 Chronicles 33:10,22,

Lazarus, Lazarus, John 11, John 12:10, John 12:1-3, Luke 16:20, was one rich one poor?

Etc.

Hi Andrew. Just to answer your question, "By what name was John baptizing?" I assume you're speaking of John the Baptist. If so, he wasn't baptizing in anyone's name. His was the baptism of repentance ( Mark 1:4; Acts 13:24; Acts 19:4) & was an in-between baptism from the Jewish performance of baptism (which Jesse has well explained), to 'believers' baptism' (which is an identification with the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus Christ).

The Jewish thought was simply of external washing prior to religious performances (Muslims also do this for that very reason, prior to their five daily prayer rituals) - the Christian belief is one of responding to an inward change. John's baptism was the 'connecting piece', bringing Jews to understand that there needs to be a washing not for the body as was previously done, but to show that it is actually a matter of the heart. And this was done by the "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight", in preparation of the arrival & ministry of the Messiah, Whom the Jews should have welcomed according to the prophecies that went before Him, but to their suffering & eternal doom, the they rejected & even had Him crucified.

Hello Lily. If we say that the Holy Spirit is a person, some people might think that we believe in two gods. So that word (person) can often be unsuitable or confusing to some.

It's best to understand the Holy Spirit (& Jesus) as living parts or emanations from the One God. Just as Jesus, before His incarnation (i.e. coming to Earth in human form) was the Word of God ( John 1:1-14), so to the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God sent out to accomplish God's Will. Neither the Word of God (Jesus) nor the Holy Spirit are ever independent of God - all are equally One & eternally One - God wouldn't be Who He is without the Word & the Holy Spirit.

But when we read in the Bible of the Holy Spirit's Attributes & Work, we are actually seeing God manifesting Himself in the out-working of His Spirit. If you look up the following Scriptures, you can see God the Spirit manifested in a few ways:

a. He is intelligent ( 1 Corinthians 2:10,11)

b. He has feelings ( Ephesians 4:30)

c. He has a will ( 1 Corinthians 12:11)

d. He teaches ( John 14:26)

e. He guides ( John 16:13; Romans 8:14)

f. He commissions ( Acts 13:4)

g. He commands ( Acts 8:29)

h. He contends ( Genesis 6:3)

i. He intercedes ( Romans 8:26)

So, the Holy Spirit is not simply a force or a power of God, as some want to believe. He is God Himself because He goes about His Work as God desires (i.e. as if God was on Earth doing it). Nothing the Spirit does is contrary or independent of God, just as Jesus on Earth, perfectly fulfilled God's Will through His Words, His Life, His Work, & His Death (you can read Jesus' wonderful prayer to His Father in this respect). I hope that has been a little helpful. May the Spirit (the Living God) help you as you meditate on these things from the Word.

Basic Distinctions between Prophecy and the Mystery (C.R. Stam)

1) Concerns a kingdom: a political organization ( Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:10)

Rightly Divided ( 2 Timothy 2:15) From {RDf} "Things That DIFFER!":

1) Concerns a body; a living organism ( 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12-16)

2) The kingdom to be established on earth ( Jeremiah 23:5; Matthew 6:10)

RDf

2) The Body given a position in Heaven ( Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:5-6; Colossians 3:1-3)

3) Christ to be its King ( Jeremiah 23:5; Isaiah 9:6-7)

RDf

3) CHRIST Is The Living Head ( Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:18)

4) The Body Chosen In CHRIST "Before the world began," but "kept secret since the world began" ( Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:4-11; Ephesians 3:5-9)

RDf

4) The kingdom prophesied "since the world began" ( Luke 1:68-70; Acts 3:21)

5) Israel to be given supremacy over the nations ( Isaiah 60:10-12; Isaiah 61:6)

RDf

5) Jew and Gentile place on the same level before God ( Romans 10:12; Romans 11:32; Ephesians 2:16-17)

6)The Gentiles to be blessed by Israel's instrumentality ( Genesis 22:17-18; Zechariah 8:13)

RDf

6) The Gentiles blessed through Israel's obstinancy ( Acts 13:44-46, Romans 11:28-32)

7)The Gentiles to be blessed by Israel's rise ( Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:22-23)

RDf

7) The Gentiles blessed through Israel's fall ( Acts 28:27-28; Romans 11:11-12; Romans 11:15)

No. The signs, wonders, miracles, tongues (languages), and prophecies were given to prove to the lost sheep of the house of Israel that Jesus was the prophesied Christ, the Son of God who had come to restore the Kingdom to Israel. After the Jewish people had rejected their Messiah the second time by stoning Stephen ( Acts 7:54-60) and rejecting the kingdom gospel proclaimed by the Apostle Paul and Barnabas ( Acts 13:6), the signs, wonders, miracles, tongues, and prophecies faded away. To my knowledge, the last person raised from the dead was a young man named Eutychus who was raised from the dead by the Apostle Paul ( Acts 20:7-12). Note: Scripture says the coming Antichrist and False Prophet will be given great power by Satan to perform lying signs and wonders. See 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:13-14; 16:14.

Part II (Previous) Gospel of the kingdom

Rightly Divided From ( 2 Timothy 2:15) From "Things That DIFFER!":

Gospel Of The GRACE Of God =

Gospel of the Uncircumcision ( Galatians 2:7; Galatians 6:15; Romans 4:9-11)

Preached first by Paul, then his companions ( Acts 13:38-39; Acts 20:24; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:24)

The Mystery Program for The Gentiles ( Ephesians 3:1-3; Colossians 1:25-27; Romans 16:25)

The preaching of The Cross as Good News ( 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4)

Gospel to be believed = Christ's Work ( Romans 5:6 Romans 5:8 Romans 5:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Salvation By GRACE Through faith plus nothing ( Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:5; Titus 3:5)

Justification by faith without works emphasized ( Romans 3:28; Romans 4:5,16; Galatians 2:16)

Repentance as a synonym for faith ( Acts 17:30; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:20; Romans 2:4)

Involves reconciliation to God and man ( Romans 5:10-11; Romans 11:15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:21)

Covers Paul's letters Romans - Philemon (Also Acts 9-28)

Not under the law ( Romans 5:20-21; Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:6)

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IMKane, hope this was helpful answering your Great questions.

Please Be Richly Encouraged, Enlightened, Exhorted, And Edified!

Kevin: "who specifically is 'God' that raised Christ?"

RESURRECTION By The Triune GODHEAD!:

(1) The LORD JESUS Raised HIMSELF From the dead!: "JESUS Answered And Said Unto them, Destroy This Temple, and in three days I Will Raise It Up!...But HE Spake Of The Temple Of HIS BODY!" ( John 2:19, John 2:21 cp John 10:17-18) +

(2) God, The Father Raised HIS SON From the dead!: "Whom God Hath Raised Up, Having Loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it!" ( Acts 2:24 cp Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 3:26, Acts 10:40, Acts 13:30, Acts 13:34, Acts 17:31; Romans 4:24, Romans 6:4, Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:21) +

(3) The Holy Spirit Raised The LORD JESUS CHRIST From the dead!: "But if The Spirit Of HIM That Raised Up JESUS From the dead Dwell in you, He That raised up CHRIST from the dead Shall Also Quicken your mortal bodies By HIS Spirit That Dwelleth In you." ( Romans 8:11 cp Acts 2:24, Acts 2:32; 1 Peter 3:18)

Please Be Richly Encouraged, Enlightened, Exhorted, And Edified!

Sister Dianne, may CHRIST IN US grace us with HIS wisdom and HIS understanding.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the spirit that now worketh in the CHILDREN of disobedience:

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others.

1 Corinthians 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (mature): yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the PRINCES OF THIS WORLD, that come to nought:

1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the PRINCES OF THIS WORLD knew, for had they know it, they would not have crucified the prince of glory.

1 John 3:8 He that COMMITTETH SIN IS OF THE DEVIL (children); for the devil SINNETH FROM THE BEGINNING.....

1 John 3:10 In this the CHILDREN OF GOD are manifest, and the CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL: whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loved not his brother.

Acts 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou CHILD of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, will thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord.

John 8:44 Ye are (children) of your FATHER THE DEVIL .....

Thank God for the world.

This passage is often used to provoke us to witness but in fact it's a sad declaration to the Jews (& specifically to those around Jesus at meal-time). The message of Luke 14:16-24 was an indictment against the Jews about their rejection of God's Message & Provision of salvation. One said in verse 15, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God", believing in the special position that only the Jews enjoyed & to be in God's Kingdom. Jesus then went about to show him that that position was now untenable because of their rejection of the Messiah of God.

So, in the parable, the invited guests represent the Jewish people. The Kingdom was prepared for them & Jesus came preaching that the Kingdom of Heaven was near ( Matthew 4:17), but they had rejected Him & His Messiahship ( John 1:11). And of course, all types of excuses were given to discount Jesus' claim & works.

Thus the invitation (of God) went out to those whom the Jews considered as outcasts & unclean (the Gentiles), that we in our miserable state of ignorance of God's Holy Demands, would be given the opportunity to salvation which the Jews despised. As Hosea 2:23 says, "I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God".

Even as Paul declared in Acts 13:46,47, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." We may not all be missionaries in our calling, or standing on street corners warning every man, but we are called to be witnesses of God's Grace reaching out to those who have never heard. In the most part, we as Christians, have failed to be God's Light & Hope in this dark & desperate world.

2Pet. 3:3; scoffers = Psalm 1:1 implies sinners progress in their ever-increasing depravity until they become scoffers in their final state.

Scoffers scornfully and maliciously mock GOD, HIS SON The LORD JESUS CHRIST, GOD's Word, GOD's people, and all GODly matters to bring disgrace and contempt. These have evolved in their lifestyles for so long, they no longer fear GOD.

Because JESUS CHRIST has not yet returned as promised, scoffers believe HE will not come again at all. The very existence of scoffers proves these are "the last days" (Jude v.18).

The reader could argue that these scoffers compose a more blatant and aggressive group than the more private "false teachers who privily shall bring in damnable heresies" ( 2Pet. 2:1). As followers and adherents of false teachers, these scoffers voice their ridicule more publicly.

These less than subtle scoffers are "walking after their own lusts" partly because they swallow the "cunningly devised fables" (1:16) and the "damnable heresies" (2:1) of the false teachers (2:1) and have become the "twofold more the child of hell" described by CHRIST ( Mt. 23:15). See also John 8:44, Acts 13:10, and 17:5.

Scoffers deride those who believe Scriptural prophecies regarding CHRIST's Second Coming by declaring that since CHRIST has not yet returned, that is proof HE will not return (v.4).

Their derisive question regarding "the promise" (v.4) voices their mockery of CHRIST WHO promised a Second Coming that HE cannot fulfill. Not only do scoffers mock the prophecies of the prophets, but they also mock CHRIST HIMSELF WHO prophesied of HIS own Second Coming ( Jn. 14:2, 28). Scoffers' denial of CHRIST's Second Coming will not hinder HIS Coming for "The LORD is not slack concerning HIS Promise" (v.9). See also verse ten where Peter emphasized, "But the Day of The LORD will come."

In the end, GOD will mock and laugh at the scoffers ( Ps. 2:4; 37:13; 59:8; Pro. 1:25-26).

Without delving too deep in theology, Divine Election is essentially God choosing who are to belong to Him.

We have the Old Testament references to God's choosing Israel: Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 45:4; Isaiah 65:9; Matthew 24:22 (Matthew is still OT in this respect). Israel wasn't a nation at the time of God's choosing nor did its forefathers deserve anything for God choosing them, but that He wanted a "special people, to set His Love upon them, & to keep His Oath made to their forefathers" ( Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

In the New Testament (post Cross), the Apostle Paul speaks of God's Elect as being from both Israel & the Gentiles: under "the election of Grace" (Romans chapter 11) and Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 1:2.

So we understand from Scripture, that God chooses whomever He desires to be His very Own. Yet, after the advent of Jesus Christ & His Sacrifice for all (Jew & Gentile), God's choosing is based on the Cross & yet the remnant of disbelieving Israel will still figure at the end times.

Then maybe your question is in respect of how that Divine Election affects sinful mankind now: are some forever lost without hope, or are some dragged kicking & screaming into the Kingdom, none having any choice because of Divine Election? To answer this, God's choosing of those to be saved is entirely because of His Determination & His Plans. Since we know that God is an Omniscient God (He knows all things from eternity to eternity), His Plans must include those who come into the world, the life path they take, their hearing of the Gospel & their response to it.

Acts 13:48: "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." "Ordained to eternal life". This is election, showing that God, Who had appointed some to eternal life, followed through with believing on His Son. In other words, whom God chooses will be saved - those who refuse His Son are not part of the elect or chosen of God.

John 3:13: This chapter finds Jesus talking with Nicodemus about heavenly/spiritual things, which sadly, Nicodemus was ignorant of. He asks in verse 9, "How can these things be?", or in other words, 'Jesus, you're telling me strange things which I find impossible to accept & believe in'. So Jesus goes on to tell him that it's not only heavenly things but also earthly things that he doesn't understand. Then verse 13 refers to Jesus being the only one that is qualified to bring 'that heavenly light' to people as He was the one to come down from Heaven. And none else filled this position or was qualified, as not even Elijah or Enoch or even the OT saints have gone into Heaven & come back to Earth to reveal such Divine insights.

Psalm 2:7: This is one of many Messianic Psalms which have a reference to the coming Messiah (see also Psalms 8, 16, 22, 34, 35, 40, etc.). David would not have had full knowledge of what God had put on his heart to write, except that God did have a plan, that through David there would be in the future an everlasting kingdom ( 2 Samuel 7:12,13). Whether David felt there was some reference to him in Psalm 2:7, is not known, but he knew ultimately that these words did not apply only to Him but to Another, as we read the whole Psalm. Even the NT writers referred to it: Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, Hebrews 5:5, indicating that they too saw Psalm 2:7 as ultimately referring to the Messiah. So, you're correct that it is God speaking to (or, inspiring) David to write the Psalm, but many Psalms & other OT writings are prophetical pointing to Jesus, as even Jesus Himself looked back at those prophecies that spoke of Him & urged others to do so ( John 5:39).

If you research the origin of the cross it goes back to the Babylonians and didn't enter into Christian religion until the 4th century. some bible writers used the Greek word Xy'lon which means "timber" stick, club, or tree. see also acts 10:39, acts 13:29, Galations 3:13 and 1 peter 2:24. It was under the pagan ruler Constantine that promoted the cross as a symbol of Christianity. see also Exodus 20:4,5

I can heartily agree with your first paragraph that the Triune God is very Truth. But then you say that the Holy Spirit is not a person. And it's at this point that we have to dwell.

Before I give you some Scriptures, let me ask, "what if God chose to embody His "Truth" (the Holy Spirit), with flesh, as He did to His "Word"? Would that alter your belief that the Spirit is more than the Truth (a Word) of God, but very God Himself by His Spirit?

Some Scriptures for you to consider that the Holy Spirit is not only the 'Truth of God' but sent from God as God: 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 (He is Intelligent, He searches, He knows, He has a Will); Ephesians 4:30 (He has feelings - can be grieved & He seals the believer); John 14:26 (He teaches; notice the pronoun); John 16:13, Romans 8:14; Acts 8:29 (He guides, leads, speaks, hears, glorifies God); Acts 13:4 (He commissions or despatches); Romans 8:26,27 (He intercedes); Matthew 12:31 (He can be blasphemed); Acts 5:3 (He can be lied to); Acts 7:51 (He can be resisted); Hebrews 10:29 (He can be outraged). And these are just a few to consider.

Then if we leave off the word 'Spirit' & replace it with 'Truth' in those Scriptures (as you asked me to try out), in some cases, it could work as the Spirit is Truth, as God & the Son are Truth. But in other cases, that just wouldn't work (e.g. how does the Truth (as a spoken Word) grieve, search, has a Will, feelings, hears, glorifies, commissions, intercedes, blasphemed against, etc.?). And then again, why did God not just use the word 'Truth' (as in 'the Truth shall set you free') but rather shows us that His Spirit (of Truth) was sent to accomplish these tasks? I can see if someone has difficulty with the Doctrine of the Trinity, then understanding the Spirit's part in the Godhead would be a problem.

We're introduced to Paul (then known as Saul) from Acts 7:58 onwards. Saul, by his own claim, was a Jew & a Pharisee (a religious leader, studied in Jewish Law), from the tribe of Benjamin ( Philippians 3:5,6). He also hailed from Tarsus, Celicia in Asia Minor (now Turkey). If you're keen to see the city & you have a map of Turkey, Tarsus is located between the cities of Mersin & Adana on the South coast.

Then from Acts chapter 9, you can read of Saul's mighty encounter with the risen Jesus Christ & from that event, Saul believed on Jesus, was baptized & later he was also referred to as Paul ( Acts 13:9). We generally hear the name Paul being used from hereon.

Paul wasn't one of the 12 disciples who walked with Jesus. However, since Paul had seen the Lord, received teaching from him (from Heaven while in the deserts of Arabia: Galatians 1:17), & called by Jesus to be His apostle ( Romans 1:1), the other apostles after some initial hesitance acceptance him. And of course, we know that God used Paul mightily to preach to both the Jews & the Gentiles of His saving Grace (his mission however was primarily to the Gentiles). Paul went on several missionary journeys & established several Churches, even in his own country. How very sad though, that Turkey now has Islam as its predominant religion, when at the time of Paul, he would have "turned the world upside down" with the power of the Gospel even in his home country.

So, if you read the Book of Acts, especially from chapter 7 onwards, you'll learn more of what I've shared here. And then his letters to the Churches are filled with wisdom, that which he learned from Jesus to teach Christians on how to live the Christian life victoriously.

I'm not sure I understand your question, but perhaps these verses are what you're looking for.

Acts 13:52

John 16:7

Page 1.

I think Rob, a dictionary wouldn't be very useful in this matter. So your answer is: "The Holy Spirit is of God". Well, that's correct but to expand on that a little, if I may amplify your thoughts. In great care, I would suggest that you also believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person, i.e. He comes from within the Godhead, sent into the World of sinners to convict & to indwell those who have been born again that they might lead new lives with a new Power within.

That He must be a Person, as shown in many examples: Intelligence ( 1 Corinthians 2:10,11); has feelings ( Ephesians 4:30); has a Will ( 1 Corinthians 12:11); has a Mind ( Romans 8:27); teaches ( John 14:26); guides ( Romans 8:14, John 16:13); commissions ( Acts 13:4); commands ( Acts 8:29); restrains ( Genesis 6:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:7); intercedes ( Romans 8:26); speaks ( John 15:26). Though He may be a spirit as from God, out of God's Being, He is the very Expression & Person of God Himself. I hope you agree to that, or am I putting words in your mind or mouth?

Then we come to God's Word. As seen with the Spirit, the Word of God is unseen, the very Articulation of God in creating, giving commands & direction whether to heavenly hosts, to His people on Earth or through His prophets & in other utterances that we're unaware of. Now there may be other aspects of God's Being that we're not told of, but of the Word & the Spirit, there's no dispute. The difficulty now for some remains with the 'Word'.

If then, God sends out His Spirit to accomplish His Purposes, why is it so hard to comprehend that He sends out His Word to do likewise? Or is that because the Spirit has no flesh, therefore it must hold true that God's Word can only be spirit without flesh? What if God chose to give His Spirit flesh maybe that would make it easier to understand the 'Word' easier.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ( Isaiah 1:18)

If you sincerely put your trust in Jesus Christ knowing that he, being the sinless Son of God, laid his life down to pay for our sins, was crucified, dead and buried, and then raised from the dead, you will be saved and fully forgiven.

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. ( Psalm 103:10-12)

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. ( Acts 13:37-39)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ( Romans 3:23-26)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ( 1 John 1:9)

Julie, I don't think there is any such verse in the Bible. Psalm 127:3 says, "children are an heritage of the LORD". The word in Hebrew can signify a "gift or a possession" from the Lord. Then in 1 Samuel 1:11, Hannah, who was once barren but God enabled her because of her vow to Him, gave her a son whom she called Samuel. She then gave him back to the Lord in accordance with her vow & we know that he was a mighty prophet used by the Lord.

Pastors sometimes refer to this account in the Bible when offering up a child in a Dedication ceremony, as when the child's parents dedicate the little one gifted to them by the Lord, back to Him for His safe-keeping & service. But we know that not only children but all of us have to one day return to the Lord Who made us & give account. So in that sense we all are placed on this Earth for a short time, to enjoy her blessings & the Lord Who made it all for our sake, & then one day we will return to our Maker.

Our children are on loan to us verses

God abhors homosexuality...He also abhors fornication, when Moses came down from Mt Sinai one time having conversed with God, God struck 23,000 fornicators dead on the spot...We serve a Holy God, we must remember what Holy means...the world does not know the meaning of Holy...they choose not too for then they would have to commit to some type of cleanliness...which turns their stomachs as homosexuality turns ours...

...then it is not for you see the truth, my friend. Shalom.

Shalom, my friend.

No, there's plenty of Bible verses supporting that Jesus is God and part of a trinity. Here's a list: Link

Your thoughts require complexity and mental gymnastics to arrive to your conclusion, whereas I'm just reading it literally like a child can do and arrive at its natural meaning. So, we already know what the Bible says and the real question is whether you believe in the Bible as God's inspired Word? And if you don't 100% believe it, why not? And what is behind this doubt, satan? Why not just pray to God and ask Him to discover and confirm the truth?

God bless...