Bible Discussion Thread

God already knows, I have no idea where to begin. Bless my home, marriage and family. I pray that God puts his hand on my dad who is sick and my mother who has lost faith. God can't fix all things and I ask that you please all pray. Thank you

...I would encourage you to pray throughout each day, for the salvation of your mom, but to do as it says "Pray without ceasing." ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17), so to keep praying until God answers, no matter how many days or years that might be.

And in the mean time give her the commandments that she can see her sin:

Psalms 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

Keeping the law is not was saves us, but "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul" because it shows us our sin, our need for a savior, and the godly sorrow that works repentance to salvation ( 2 Cor 7:10), is for having broken that law - which is why it says:

Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

The parable of the sower explains that if she fell away she was never of Christ to begin with. Please read all of Luke 8, but in short it says:

" Luke 8:13 "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away."

The ones that "fall away" never had root to begin (meaning they were never of Christ to being with). That's why there will be "many" that call Jesus Lord and not enter into the kingdom of heaven:

Matthew 7 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Those were the seed that didn't fall on good ground, but instead fell on the wayside, thrones, and stony ground. The reason they never truly were born-again, is because they never came to repentance (godly sorrow for their sin) - they got the believing part right, but Jesus told them they didn't do "the will of my Father which is in heaven." which 2 Peter 3:9 shows us His Father's will is repentance:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

There's people out there that will tell you "the greek says repent is turn/change", but that is false - we don't need to go outside the Bible to define repentance; and it couldn't be turn/change because that's exactly what the people in Matthew 7 talked about, their "works" - but that wasn't the will of the father, because that's not repentance. Again, repentance is defined in scripture (in the context of salvation) as godly sorrow for sin - 2 Cor 7:8-11

Hello Andrew, I'm hoping when you said "God can't fix all things" that was a typo, and you meant "can", because He can fix and do anything He likes:

Job 42

"1Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee."

-

I'm not sure if your dad is a Christian, but if he is, please show him James 5:14-16

"14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

-

Some points to consider about that passage:

1. According to the Bible, only men can be elders ( 1 Timothy 2:11-15 - 1 Corinthians 14:34-36 - 1 Timothy 3:1-2 - Titus 1:6)

2. The anointing oil needs to be done; it's not "just medicinal" like some teach - (Read Mark 6:7 & 6:12-13 those were clearly supernatural healings, and yet they still used the anointing oil - when they anointed in the Old Testament, they simply poured oil on someone's head ( Leviticus 8:12 - 2 Kings 9:6 - 1 Samuel 10:1) - you don't need any man to "bless the oil", the Bible did not say to do that - the anointing simply needs to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. It says "the prayer of faith shall save the sick", so we should pray for faith for the one who is sick as well as the elders, otherwise, as it said earlier in James "...let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." ( James 1:6-7)"