Civil Religious Discussions : all things Christianity II

[BRHiker]

All fair points, that I agree with, which is why I merely attempted to reference what scripture explicitly says on the matter of divorce. A physically abusive husband violates the covenant and institution of marriage at its most foundational and symbolic level, and violates scriptural commands regarding how the husband must treat his wife.

What about a wife who verbally abuses her husband?

 

[BRHiker]

Thats for sure...you can stay married all your life and still be a adulterer at heart. Lusting, porn addict, filthy dreamers. I'm sometimes reminded by people, "You can look just don't touch." I say Jesus said, " if any man look at a woman and lust in his heart he has committed adultery already in his heart." I usually get a silent look.

Hebrews says marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

This may very well include those married for life to only one. Know a guy who told me he is always trying to cheat on his wife he has been married to all his life. I asked him, then why haven't you? He said because he hasn't found anyone who has wanted to.

I personally know a guy from long ago whose christian wife left him for a 50 year old married man, she was 20. Just went nuts, guy went through hell and broken. He was sad and mad, he felt he could divorce her, and was told by pastors it was OK. Then he thought what if it had been me? What f I was the one who went nuts and had left God and ran out doing this horrible thing.....what would he want her to do? Divorce him or fight for him to come back to God and the marriage? He decided he too was a sinner too, he learned forgiveness and fight and get her back. It was hell for 3 years for that poor soul.

Then by a miracle she walked into the church a changed person, found Christ and even more. She had divorced him but never remarried and he had been waiting not going on. They were remarried 2 weeks later. Sadly just a few short years later she did the exact same thing all over again and this time the marriage failed. He felt he had done all he could. She had problems that were never going to be resolved. And realized what Paul said on some of these matters.

He learned a lot during those times. He had asked God for so many years why he wasn't strong, why he couldn't stop loving, all those sad days while she was out having a blast and happy. Why he couldn't be a real man and just forget and go on and find another woman and get over it like everyone else he knew. But God never answered and after years he quit asking.

Then many years later while driving the Spirit asked if he remembered all those prayers......then he remembered and said "yes, but I never got a answer." Spirit said, "you couldn't go on for so long and hurt so bad because thats your testimony that you loved. The people that just go on and don't care, that don't really hurt and just shake it off like its nothing are the ones that never loved, thats their testimony, that they never really loved."

Things after decades got better for that guy I know. He has been happily married for 12 years to a wife that went through so much of the same thing he did. They are blessed by God indeed. He still remembers decades ago going through that one divorce, seeing a picture on a wall in a office one day. "Oh great spirit in the sky, let me not judge my brother until I have walked a mile in his moccasins." I hope that guy won't be judged too harshly by the brotherhood.

Powerful story, thanks for sharing! The end of your post reminds me of Matthew 7 and how we will be judged based on how we judge others:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

 

[foszoe]

Powerful story, thanks for sharing! The end of your post reminds me of Matthew 7 and how we will be judged based on how we judge others:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

For people that ask me what the bare minimum to do to get into heaven is I cite vs1.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Powerful story, thanks for sharing! The end of your post reminds me of Matthew 7 and how we will be judged based on how we judge others:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Right. That passage isn’t saying “don’t judge”. It’s saying “don’t judge hypocritically”.

 

[blain]

All this judgy talk reminds me of 1 Corinthians chapter 6.

It also reminds me of a murder trial, I was a juror on, back in 2012.
I can't say "happy" was the right feeling I had about being selected. It was more in line with "satisfied", sort of.
I fully understood the gravity of the situation and the need for sound judgement. I felt I lived up to the task, by listening to the testimony, considering the evidence and casting my vote.
It was an emotional experience for me, but I was glad that I served.

 

[foszoe]

Well, certainly. I would be directly participating in a sinful act.


Ideally, through study of the Word and the counsel of the Holy Spirit, combined with trustworthy human counsel.


I believe that essentials are absolute. What are the precise requirements for salvation? Nothing more, nothing less.


My view on "essentials":

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (I Corinthians 2:2). One might expound a bit more on "essentials" following the "Romans Road" set of scriptures: we have all sinned, the cost of our sin is spiritual death, God came to earth as Jesus and died to atone for our sin, Jesus rose from the dead to conquer spiritual death, our salvation rests in believing, confessing, and being baptized in the name of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

And I would suggest that all of I Corinthians 2 speaks directly to these questions.

My conscience tells me I have to do everything the Bible tells me to do for salvation and none of that will save. If I search for the bare essentials, then I am usurping God's authority to Judge and assuming it for myself.

Furthermore, it I am not the judge of myself, it's damning to judge others.

The worst thing to do is condemn someone.

The best thing you can hear from a person, is that you didnt condemn them and you didnt tell them thats ok.

I would tell them start reading the gospels slowly and anytime they encounter a command put into practice as best as they can. Skip the parts they dont understand and do that 3 times. Then lets talk. If Jesus comes back before then, we'll have the answer anyway so theres no hurry.

My mom gets so confused by that.

 

[chipbennett]

My conscience tells me I have to do everything the Bible tells me to do for salvation and none of that will save. If I search for the bare essentials, then I am usurping God's authority to Judge and assuming it for myself.

That's one way to look at it. Another way to consider is that we should try to understand God's plan for our salvation, which includes an understanding that we are not - cannot be - saved through any of our own actions.

These are deep, challenging matters - especially when considering how they impact our day-to-day lives, thoughts, decisions, and actions. We are saved, but we continue to sin. We are continually being sanctified, and are saved by grace, but cannot use that status to choose willingly to act sinfully. But struggling with such matters is a separate question from salvation - the essentials: what restores us to a right, eternal relationship with God?

Furthermore, it I am not the judge of myself, it's damning to judge others.

The worst thing to do is condemn someone.

The best thing you can hear from a person, is that you didnt condemn them and you didnt tell them thats ok.

I would tell them start reading the gospels slowly and anytime they encounter a command put into practice as best as they can. Skip the parts they dont understand and do that 3 times. Then lets talk. If Jesus comes back before then, we'll have the answer anyway so theres no hurry.

My mom gets so confused by that.

I think we're pretty aligned in this approach. I also consider the parable of the brother with a splinter in his eye, being admonished by the brother with a plank in his own eye.

 

[blain]

Another way to consider is that we should try to understand God's plan for our salvation, which includes an understanding that we are not - cannot be - saved through any of our own actions.

Not even with fig leaves?

 

[ChristianPatriot]

 

[foszoe]

View attachment 338997

Try 1 Maccabees at most Bible studies!

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Try 1 Maccabees at most Bible studies!

 

[foszoe]

Celtic Version​

Chorale Version​

St. Patrick’s Breastplate: the prayer of Ireland's patron saint

This St. Patrick's Day prayer has come down through the centuries and remains popular today.

www.irishcentral.com

St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer:​

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

 

[Magyars]

Eastern Europe puts Bibles into schools – with encouraging results | WND | by WND Guest Columnist

By Bob Burckle and Dirk Smith Once upon a time, the United States openly and proudly professed "One Nation Under God," in our homes and in our individual lives. No one disputed our Judeo-Christian faith heritage. Children prayed and read the Bible at home and in schools, and were raised with...

www.wnd.com

 

[DragonGunner]

Eastern Europe puts Bibles into schools – with encouraging results | WND | by WND Guest Columnist

By Bob Burckle and Dirk Smith Once upon a time, the United States openly and proudly professed "One Nation Under God," in our homes and in our individual lives. No one disputed our Judeo-Christian faith heritage. Children prayed and read the Bible at home and in schools, and were raised with...

www.wnd.com

Our sins are great. The enemy conquers and we hardly fuss about it. I still remember Bible class in public school in the 60’s.

 

[foszoe]

If I have caused any real offense to any anyone, it was not intentional.

Forgive me.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Blessed day at church today. Both of my daughter’s were baptized. Very thankful for God’s mercy and grace.

 

[DadSmith]

All this judgy talk reminds me of 1 Corinthians chapter 6.

It also reminds me of a murder trial, I was a juror on, back in 2012.
I can't say "happy" was the right feeling I had about being selected. It was more in line with "satisfied", sort of.
I fully understood the gravity of the situation and the need for sound judgement. I felt I lived up to the task, by listening to the testimony, considering the evidence and casting my vote.
It was an emotional experience for me, but I was glad that I served.

That may come to an end eventually for all believers being allowed on a jury.

Justice Alito sounds alarm after Christians denied jury duty in state court

WASHINGTON (BP) – The barring of two Christians from jury duty in a trial involving a lesbian is evidence that Christians with a biblical worldview are increasingly seen as bigots,

www.kentuckytoday.com

 

[ChristianPatriot]

 

[Brad69]

Why are so many Christian’s evil?

Affidavit details child sex abuse accusations made against Tell City pastor

Following the child sex abuse arrest of a religious leader in Tell City, a probable cause affidavit details the accusations against him and reveals new information surrounding the investigation.

www.wevv.com

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Why are so many Christian’s evil?

Affidavit details child sex abuse accusations made against Tell City pastor

Following the child sex abuse arrest of a religious leader in Tell City, a probable cause affidavit details the accusations against him and reveals new information surrounding the investigation.

www.wevv.com

We’re all wretched sinners in need of a Savior.