Does the Bible really tell us to keep virginity until marriage?
I know Christians and in my case, Catholics are supposed to keep virginity until marriage, but where in the Bible does it tell us to do so? And why is it considered bad if we don't? Why is promiscuity bad? Any direct quotes, passages, etc. would be appreciated.
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The Bible explicitly forbids fornication (sex before marriage), and adultery (sex with someone else's spouse). A few of the many verses on this subject are:
1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10 - "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effiminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God." - Seems like a lot of bad company in these verses.
Ephesians 5:3 - "But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not once be named among you as becometh saints."
Romans 13:9 - "For this Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, and etc."
Proverbs 6:32 - "But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he that doeth it destroys his own soul."
Aside from the spiritual side of fornication there's the great possibility that you could get STD's from someone you know who is infected and doesn't know it or who is infected and knows it but doesn't care how it affects others. There is also the possibility that the person you have sex with is secretly married and you will find out after. Another thing is that the person doesn't want a child if you get pregnant and you are put in a position to either abort (kill) the child or keep it and raise it yourself as so many mothers do in this generation.
The only upside to sex outside of marriage is physical lust fulfilled, and that is also a violation of God's law. Sex is to be a holy alliance between one man and one woman for life. All other sex is sinful and unacceptable to God.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE? or...?
or: A HUMAN BEING GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE?
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We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience.
I Corinthians 2:16 to 18 - "For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
In these verses there are two parts of a human spoken of, the
outer man, our fleshly existence, and the inward man, our spiritual existence. When the spirit leaves the body the outer man collapses and is dead.
Further the things which are seen with the naked eye are said to be temporal or "temporary." The things seen through the spiritual eye are eternal or "will never die."
This is one more confirmation that all mankind will have two deaths or two lives. The first death is physical and the second one is spiritual in Hell. The first life is physical and the second life is spiritual in Heaven and later on the new earth. Both the second death and eternal life are spoken of in scripture so as to leave no doubt as to what they mean.
A Greek study of the words used in these scriptures will bear out what I am saying. It is our business in this physical life to prepare for the eternal spiritual life to come.
While we walk this life there are also spiritual battles that those who know Christ fight. The battles are against evil spiritual beings that the Bible says, walk in and rule, spiritual darkness. Those outside of Christ are unaware of these things outside of a salvation experience. This world is all they have to live for and die for prior to salvation. Christians look for another world where righteousness, peace and joy are eternal and sin, sickness and death no longer exist.
A bunch of friends and a bunch of enemies: What is your current tally count?
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I only have two enemies - myself and the devil. By the grace of God I have the power to overcome both.
Because of this grace, I can love everyone on earth without respect to who they are, what they believe or how they treat me or my family. So then I have to say my friends outnumber my enemies by a large amount because I've chosen to be friends with everyone including those who refuse my love.
What do you think of Krishna?
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Krishna is a fairy tale about a little blue demi-god who steals sheep and seduces shepherd girls.
I am hard pressed to believe that anyone would worship a god who is a thief and a fornicator. It shows me the strength of the devil over unsaved people, and how the heart can be deceived easily in humans who are without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Krishna is no better than most humans - wicked and without anything real to offer to those who are looking for good solid answers to life.
Does a church reflect a city/community or does a city/community reflect the church?
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A very wise man once said, "As goes the church so goes the nation." The community, whether a town or a nation or the world, is reflected in what the church is doing or what it fails to do. "When the righteous keep silent, evil will prevail." We can see this in this country. The church has been quiet on important issues and has given up it's prominence as a major force for holiness and godly living over the years and now our nation is decadent and becoming worse.
What was never acceptable in the 1950's and 1960's when I was growing up is common practice now. Sexual lust and the availability of porn on the internet has created a monster of huge proportions in sexual crimes at all age levels which includes small children under 5 years old. When I was a boy the only way you could get a playboy magazine was under the counter sales. No respectable store carried them and the stores that did kept them under the counter and the only way you could purchase them was by requesting it.
During that time many more people attended church and considered their faith in God to be of great importance, and there was much more respect in every area of life from the home, to school, to workplaces and even in government. Guys and girls who had sex outside of marriage were looked at as guilty of wrong and outcasts until they changed or got married. Homosexuals were quiet about their homosexuality and didn't demand rights to which they are not entitled under law. Now because of the licentious sexual mores of this time in history we have aborted 65,000,000+ babies in this nation and excused our lack of truth and responsibility by renaming babies and calling them "unwanted tissue or fetuses." Doctors who used to honor and preserve life find no problem with taking it. The homosexual and lesbian radicals have come out of the closet and are demanding rights based on their sexual preference. They want to create laws that validate their lust as a right even though there is no law on the books that gives special consideration to heterosexuals or any other class of people based on sexual orientation.
Music that came from my generation was simple and based on life struggles and joys. Even the rock music was realistic and dealt with life's issues simply and without the violence prevalent in the rock culture today. Now rock music strongly promotes sexual promiscuity to teens, drug use, alcoholism, disrespect for authority and in some cases has lyrics such as "I'm going to come to your school, and shoot you down, and laugh while you blood spills on the ground." Women are called "Ho's (whores)" and disrespected, a group of women sing to children that they are to disobey their parents and live their own life, teen girls are throwing their panties on stage in sexual surrender to band members, and immorality is the theme song of the day.
The news media in my generation was fair and balanced in most of it's presentations, and could be trusted to some extent. The new media of this generation is by and large liberal or extreme liberal, and is more willing to print and share opinion through various news media outlets than to print anything factual that might run contrary to their agenda.
There is so much more that has come about since prayer was tossed out of the public school, the Ten Commandments was banned from public places, and the communist front group - the ACLU - was allowed to promote their anti-God agenda in our nation. Prior to the advent of them and groups like them our nation was a God fearing and believing nation for the most part.
It used to be safe to leave your children with a babysitter and know you would come home to find them safe. Today's sitters could be rapists or murderers, even if they are known to the parents. Children walking the streets disappear and are never seen again. We can no longer leave our homes or cars unlocked for fear of theft, and on and on the list could go.
Christians who are supposed to be salt and light to a world lost in darkness have abdicated their responsibility in favor of favoring a non-offensive gospel that leads people to accept a false salvation that costs them nothing. If, and when, Christians wake up to their responsibility to be a powerful force for change in the world you will clearly see that it is the world that is a reflection of a strong church. The change will be pronounced and unmistakable and the sin that runs rampant through our land and the world today will be radically overcome and this nation will be transformed in such a way that it will affect the entire world.
Do you believe the Gospel of Oprah?
Oprah Winfrey has been in the news a lot lately for her vastly popular online spirituality classes. Oprah often deals with spiritual topics and has a large audience of people who seem to follow her advice, judging by the way sales increase when she promotes a book on her program. Millions are flocking to her programs on television and radio, where she purports to give answers to our spiritual quest.
Oprah has been known to offer her opinions on Christianity as well. Here’s one exchange she had with her audience.
Oprah asking her talk show audience,
“How can there be only one way to heaven or to God?”
One woman in the audience asks, “What about Jesus?”
Oprah replies, “What about Jesus? There couldn't possibly be one way.”
Is Oprah right? Are there many ways to God? Could there not possibly be one way?
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John 14:6 - Jesus speaking said these words; "I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. NO MAN comes to the Father but through Me." The word "the" in this verse makes Him to be very exclusive and eliminates every other way.
He is saying that He is the only way to God, "the" source of all truth, and "the" source of all life. Either He was a fanatic or liar or He was truly God as He claimed to be and the only way to salvation.
Those who "know Him" - not merely about Him, know His words are true. Those who don't know Him and only have heard knowledge of Him through history or some other source including the Bible deny Him until they come to see their need of salvation. I have found it to be very true that the only people who come to Christ for salvation are those who have come to an end of themselves and will humbly and gratefully acknowledge their need. When they come as they should their need is fulfilled.
Acts 4:12 tells us; "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." The preceding verses and following verses in context clearly show this is talking about Jesus.
Are believers of the Word also seekers of the Word?
Is the Word already written in our "inward parts?"
Is Heaven already written there as well?
As you uncover the Word, do you also find it is the real you?
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Hebrews 4:12 - "The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing asunder the soul and the spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Joshua 1:8 - "This Book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth but thou shalt meditate in it day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shall you have good success."
"They word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." "O Lord how I love thy law; it is my meditation all the day." "I love thy commandments but I hate every false way."
Psalms 1:1 - Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, BUT his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law doth he meditate day and night."
These are quotes from memory to prove a point. I don't know if seeking the word is a good way to express allowing the word of God to become so much a part of you that it flows from you like a river and brings health to those in your sphere of life. But if we are to be a force in this wicked world and if we are to always have an answer for those who ask us of the hope that lies within us we had better be students of the word. God is honored and exalted when we can share His word freely from the heart and it is alive in us.
Heaven is a place. We are to live with eternity in view and live as if we were truly strangers and pilgrims here as the scriptures say we are. Heaven is also temporary because the Bible says in Revelation that God will create a New Earth and New Heaven and He will come and dwell with men in the new Jerusalem.
The Word is real to me indeed as it is part of my very soul! The living Word is also real to me as He has delivered my soul from sin, death and eternal damnation and given me great peace and joy in this life and sure confidence of the life to come. Both are precious to me and a great joy in every way, and I love sharing them with everyone who will listen!
Christians question about demonic spirits?
I had an AVM that was removed by surgery, finding that it was a genetic disorder after having a grand mall seizure that lasted 20 minutes...they could not remove it all but most...could this be caused by a demonic spirit...i no longer have seizures but do take 3000 mil. of Keppra daily
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Please rest assured that this is not demonic. I have dealt with demon possession and oppression, and what you are talking about is purely physical.
I am sorry to say that there are certain groups of people who have believed everything from attitudes of pride to ailments to be demonic. The bulk of these things have nothing to do with the supernatural at all. Further I reject the notion that we have generational curses over us based on the scripture that tells me "If anyone is in Christ; he is a new creature. Old things have passed away and all things become new." If all things truly become new we are brand new babes that are starting a totally new life in Christ.
While the Bible warns us that Satan stalks about seeking whom he may devour, it also tells us that Satan can be commanded in the name of Jesus Christ to leave us. We are "More than conquerors" through Him who loves us and gave Himself for us.
To be perfectly honest with you I don't believe the demons or Satan himself are as busy as some Christians would like to believe. They receive a lot of blame for things that we are guilty of such as anger, pride, bitterness, and other traits that are part of our human makeup. Satan and his imps are only interested in attacking Christians who are attacking them. The rest are no threat to them and they tempt them on occasion and then leave them alone.
If you ever met a person who was demon possessed, and you are walking with God where you should be, I guarantee that you will know whether there's demonic activity or not! Pray for "the discerning of spirits" which is one of the spiritual gifts that God has promised. It will help you understand what is going on around you and help you avoid some of the more radical teaching of fringe groups.
The Bible makes it clear that God is not the Author of confusion - but of peace.
Christians: Are you free to make others unhappy in Heaven? In not, what prevents you?
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There will be no unhappiness in Heaven because everyone there will love one another and be thinking more of the good they can do for others than being self-centered. Our sinful nature inherited through Adam and Eve will be cleansed in a way that will eradicate sin forever since the Bible states that no sin will enter there.
Heaven will be a place of complete peace, harmony and joy between God and everyone there because the choice to love everyone and hold them in high esteem was made by everyone prior to going there.
While that is hard to imagine because of our sinful nature on this planet, it will nevertheless be fulfilled because God's truth never changes and God cannot lie.
If we are all sinners and deserve death, why do people care about abortion and murder?
This is a serious question and I mean no offense. Personally I do not see death as something to deserve or not deserve - it's simple fact. Living organisms wear out and eventually die.
With original sin, we deserve to die because we are born. Therefore the infant deserves to die and whoever lives past infancy is escaping what we deserve. So if we deserve death, why is it wrong to create it?
Additional Details
And "thou shall not murder" is a cheap answer because it sounds to me like "thou shall not give what people deserve." That sounds awkward.
The question is about the claim, "we don't deserve life, we deserve to die". Usually when people say (outside of Christianity) that someone deserves to die, typically that implies they deserve to die at that instance. So this saying is awkward to me as it implies babies don't deserve to live.
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We all deserve death because of our sin, but to die without Christ is far worse than physical death. So murder is taking a right reserved for God alone who created all life, and killing someone before they have a chance to accept Jesus as Savior would be a terrible act because it would send someone to eternal punishment.
Babies deserve a chance to live - abortion is wrong. What if Jesus was aborted? If he was aborted there would be no Savior for the world. That would be a great wrong. It would send all people to Hell without a chance of redemption.
Besides Jesus think of what the world would be like if the great men and women of all time had all been aborted. All the progress we have made over the centuries would be non-existent.
Original sin is a Catholic idea that has no basis in scripture. All sin in the sight of God is the same, and all sin created the need for Christ to die to deliver us from the power of sin, death and Hell forever.
Physical death is the doorway to eternal life. The real person we see in the mirror is not the "real person." Our bodies are only houses that we live in temporarily until we are released from them at death. Then eternity begins. So when a person dies, whether through abortion, murder or execution it is only the body that dies - the spirit lives on forever.
Is speaking in tongues Biblical for today? Why or why not?
Please give clear detailed biblical information...
Or how do you know? If it's because the authorities in your church say so... or your family, then please include this detail.
Thanks for honest participation.
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The people who most adamantly refuse to believe that it is for today stand or fall on one verse of scripture: I Corinthians 13:8 where it says "whether there be tongues they shall cease."
The fallacy of using that verse is that there are some other things mentioned in that verse such as "whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away." It is evident to the educated that prophecies have not failed and are not all currently failing, and most assuredly knowledge has not vanished away. For tongues to cease both of the other things mentioned in this verse must happen as well or there is no contextual unity making the verse to be absurd and unbelievable.
My own personal experience with this gift is that I was in the back of a tent praying for a revival service and began to worship the Lord. Tongues was not even in my thoughts at that moment, when suddenly I began to speak in tongues. It was not something I was seeking after, but God gave it to me anyway. It was God, and in my worship he must have been blessed and decided to bless me as well.
All anyone needs to know about tongues can be summed up in a few sentences. To find that knowledge simply study I Corinthians chapters twelve through 14 and some references in the book of Acts. Most or all that is discussed concerning that gift is there.
Tongues are for a sign, they are also a private prayer language, and they are not to be used in church out loud unless there is a specific interpretation. Tongues used on the day of Pentecost were for those gathered in Jerusalem and were in their own languages. I believe that the persons who spoke those languages used them for the first time in their lives and had no previous knowledge of them.
Tongues with interpretation are for the edification, encouragement, teaching or rebuke of the body of Christ. I have seen them used in all those ways. Tongues is definitely for today, but it is also the least of all the gifts, and Paul himself said he would rather speak one word in a language everyone could understand than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue.
There is nothing God has ever done that he cannot do now, so to think he can't give someone a special language like that is to deny his creative ability and power.
One other thought. Wherever there is a real thing there is also a counterfeit. I have heard of Satan worshipers who speak in unknown tongues as well. In one service there was a message given in church that was not interpreted. After the service a man from Greece came up to the pastor and asked him if he knew what the message in tongues was. The pastor said he did not. The man said, I am from Greece and that message was in my language. The reason there was no interpretation is that the message was calling everyone in the congregation to curse god and worship the devil.
Obviously the pastor was lacking in discernment, and should be an example to us all of getting close enough to God to know what is going on in our own church especially Pentecostal churches.
EDIT: One other thing just came to mind. Not everyone who receives the Baptism in the Holy Spirit receives tongues. The Bible makes it plain that the Spirit gives these gifts to God's people's "severally as he will." There is also another verse where Paul is speaking and he says in that verse, "Are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles, have all the gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret?" - I Cor. 12:29 and 30 - The obvious answer to every question is no.
What 3 things should I take to Hell with me...to make my stay more enjoyable?
maybe some sunblock?
a protective hat?
marshmallows?
maybe some burn cream?
My Answer
To joke about Hell is the height of stupidity! Perhaps you have never taken a serious view of eternity! Eternity had no beginning and will have no end. A billion times a billion years of our time will pass, and eternity will only have just begun. Hell will have been cast into the Lake of Fire so rather than being in Hell you will be in a Lake of Fire and Brimstone! There will be no laughing and jesting there because everyone who goes there will know the terrible gravity of their sin and understand the need for the severity of their punishment. They will wish ten thousand times ten thousand that they had paid attention to those who called them to repentance and faith in Christ but it will not matter because there is no salvation beyond the grave.
Laugh on if you choose to, but be prepared to pay the price for your insolent and arrogant handling of the promises of God!
Fools make a mock of sin,
Will not believe,
It carries such a dagger in its sleeve.
How can it be they say,
That such a thing,
So full of sweetness could ever have a sting.
They do not know,
It is the spell,
Of sin - that makes me laugh themselves to Hell.
Why can Christians NEVER consider the option that they COULD BE wrong?
Additional Details
I'm an atheist and I do admit that I could be wrong I’m humble unlike you, and no that is not a sign of pride...its just the truth I appreciate those Christians that have considered the option that they could be wrong. All other Christians are entirely arrogan
My Answer
Since you accuse Christians, who believe that Christ changed them, of being arrogant, aren't you being arrogant yourself since you quite obviously know little or nothing about being a Christian?
Do you even know what makes a person a Christian? Do you believe that being a Christian makes a person religious? Do you believe that Christianity is merely a religion? Do you believe the Bible is the mere work of men like any other book? What makes you so sure that those who profess to be Christians should want to believe they are wrong? What if they are truly the only people on earth who are right when it comes to spiritual matters? Don't you believe it could at least be a remote possibility that they could be right and their faith is being put in the right person? If not, Why would you be so dogmatic about calling them arrogant?
You say you are humble, and it is not a matter of pride. Anyone with just a smidgen of common sense knows that a truly humble person doesn't know he or she is humble, and to declare yourself humble is a matter of extreme pride and self-deception.
Think of this! Suppose you accept that all men are sinners, and there are no exceptions! Now suppose one day you actually feel sorry for the sin in your life, but you don't know what to do about it. Suppose someone came to you and said that if you would go to God and ask forgiveness for your sin and trust what Christ did on Calvary to deliver you from sin, death and eternal punishment God would forgive you if you came with an honest and sincere heart! Then suppose you came and "humbled" yourself before God in prayer and asked forgiveness of him for the sin in your life, and he forgave you. Suppose that there was a spiritual confirmation when God cleansed you and you knew that your sins were forgiven. Suppose that you began to live as if you wanted to please God from that time forth. You began to read the Bible and pray according to the promises found in it. Amazingly God answered prayers that you never talked with anyone else about, and it happened over and over again and year after year. Would you have a strong and unshakable belief that your faith was the right one and that you would not trade that for anything else on earth?
Well, that is what has happened to Christians who can be truly called Christians. There are some who call themselves Christians who are not Christians at all, and have never had the experience that I have written. They think that religious performance makes them right with God, and they are deceived because the Bible clearly teaches that there is only one way to be right with God and it is described above.
Jesus himself said; I am THE way, THE truth and THE life; no man comes to the Father but through me." John 14:6
The word THE is exclusive of all else and admits no other way, truth or life. In other words, the Christian believes that Jesus is the only way to salvation, he is the only expression of perfect truth, and he alone holds the keys to life here and in eternity.
That is not arrogance but experience. Christianity is not a religion but a personal relationship with the only person to have ever resurrected from the dead. It is personal, and only the person who experiences salvation through Christ can know it is true.
I hope you can somehow understand what it is that I am saying to you because your eternal destiny hinges on what you do with what I said.
If you knew that following Christ involved Persecution, even death would you go along or bail yourself out ?
My Answer
I have already been imprisoned for my faith, and even though I have a strong aversion to pain I would gladly die for Jesus and I believe He would enable me to die honorably and in a way that would bring honor and glory to Him.
Since He gave His life to deliver me from sin, death and Hell and to give me assurance of eternal life, death has become only a doorway to a better life where there's no more of the ugly things everyone must deal with in this life.
When I consider how wicked and sinful I was prior to my salvation, and understand clearly that I do not deserve the least of the mercies that God has extended to me through Christ; I would be thankful and feel privileged to die for the only one who cared enough to die for me!
Are their any Catholic saints that have to do with the natural forces of the world?
Basically I am fascinated by physics and love the study of the world around us. Are their any woman saints that deal with either outer space, elements of the world, some sort of force in the natural world anything similar to that?
Additional Details
Well I'm looking for a confirmation name. I wanted the saint to do with something I'm interested in such as science or music. However there are so many people at my church who are interested in St. Cecilia who is the patron of music. The saint of science is Saint Albert the Great who is a guy.
My Answer
You are dealing with superstition. There are only three that have any power over the world, and they are The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Catholic saints were just sinners like all of us and held no special powers over anything. It was their submission to God that gave them supernatural power, but any true Christian can have that same power who will submit himself totally to the Lord to be used of Him.
I can attest personally that I have been blessed by God to have seen His power flow through many lives including my own as healings have taken place instantly, demons have been cast out, and others have had wonderful deliverance from a very wicked life through the salvation they received by placing their trust in Christ for salvation. I have heard words from God that pierced my own soul with conviction that led to my own salvation, and after that powerful words under the anointing of the Holy Spirit that have changed my life and many other lives and always in positive ways that bring honor and glory to God alone!
Put your faith in the Creator of all things and you will not need to seek out the works of the "created" (men and women) as you do now! He alone can satisfy the hunger in your soul! To place your trust in men brings failure because all men fail! To place your trust in God alone is the greatest success you will find in this life or the life to come.
Any statistics on how many ppl die each day w/o knowing God while Xtians waste time preaching 2 other Xtians?
For Example - Christians who spend so much time trying to "convert" and "save" Catholics who gave them Christianity in the first place.... while people who actually need the message of Christianity are left by the wayside.
Definitely something to think about..
My Answer
It is estimated that over 8400 people die every day. A study done some years ago declared that only 5% of everyone in this country will attend any kind of service whether in a church, mosque or synagogue.
The study went on to say that less than 1% of that five were Christians and I believe that included Catholics who are not really born-again and have teachings that conflict with traditional Christianity.
If 50% of that 1% were actually saved, it would leave 99.5% of the population in need of Christ
Catholicism isn't the one true religion and the Roman Catholic Church is not the one true church. The One True Church is the body of Christ made up of those who have received the gift of salvation through Christ's blood that was shed on Calvary. There is no church on earth that can secure your salvation.
Christians will you regret wasting 10% of your cash when you get to heaven and see that everyone else is there?
also and they never paid anything to get there?
My Answer
First of all you assume that all Christians tithe. The tithe ended in the Old Testament. The New Testament decree of giving is that all giving is done from the heart without coercion, and that God loves a cheerful giver. 100% of everything we have comes from God to begin with as there would be no world without His creative genius.
Our way to Heaven was paid on Calvary when Christ died to take our place so we won't have to be eternally damned for our wickedness. Anything we give to God from salvation onward is a gift of love to Him, and nothing we could ever give would ever come close to returning the value of His Son dying a brutal and cruel death for us and securing our eternal salvation through His resurrection from the dead.
Finally, all who reject Jesus Christ will never get into Heaven. Read Revelation 20:11-15 and you will see the fate of all mankind on both sides of the issue spelled out in terms even the most illiterate could understand. Read one verse above those verses and you will see the final fate of the devil and his false prophet.
Of course, you don't have to go to Hell and the Lake of Fire. You can still confess your sins directly to God Himself and plead for His mercy upon your soul and He will gladly give you the gift of salvation that you so badly need. There is no offer of this kind after death.
Wouldn't life be boring and anti-intellectual if Christian fundamentalists had their way?
They would ban so many things like Harry Potter, yoga, video games/tv shows/movies that deal with "magic", evolution, many other sciences that contradict the Bible, philosophies that contradict the Bible, etc. The only thing we could do is read the Bible all day. Wouldn't that be boring.
Answer
Let's see if your question has an rationale! We'll make it simple like it really is! What if evil were banned totally from earth? What would earth be like without any evil influence?
Here is what the Bible says it will be like.
Revelation 21:3 and 4 - 3: "An I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and will be their God; 4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow; nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away."
In another place in scripture it states; "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him." Considering God's immense and unlimited creative power, I could imagine myself silly and never touch upon the wonderful things God has for those who love Him.
The shallow and empty things you mention above are so far beneath the dignity of God and His creation (Man) that they are not worthy of mentioning in the same breath. You need a revelation of God in your life so you can get past the material plane in your thinking and see beyond this life and into the next. There is beauty there that transcends anything any person could possibly imagine both in this world and the world to come.
Christians, if God gave me a message for you, should I even bother telling you? After all, I'm an atheist and you'd never believe me anyway... and it's not like I'd put a big importance on doing what an imaginary being told me to do.
My Answer
God spoke through a rooster to Peter and a donkey to Balaam, but both of them were sensitive to God. Jesus' disciples asked the Lord to tell the crowd to quiet down as He was riding in to Jerusalem on a donkey, but Jesus said, "If these should hold their peace, even the very rocks would cry out."
In the case of the creatures mentioned above; they were sensitive to God. The rocks were in subjection to God because of His creative power and genius.
You sir, are not sensitive to God or in subjection to Him because He has given you a free will to reject Him as you have. Therefore you will never have a message from God to give anyone including Christians as long as you continue to ignore the evidence God has planted in you to prove His reality. Those evidences are three-fold:
1. You have a conscience that has told you from childhood what is right and what is wrong.
2. According to Romans 12:3 you have been given sufficient faith to believe in God as "the measure of faith" has been given to every man.
3. According to Romans 1:19-20 - God has put the knowledge of Himself in every man so that we are all without excuse, and every man includes you!
In summation: You have a conscience, ingrained faith, and deep down assurance of God's existence planted in you from your birth until the day you die. You are free to accept that or reject it, but you alone must bear the weight of your decision.
If you die without Christ and without hope then the record declared in
Psalms 14:1 and 53:1 will be the testimony against you on the day when we stand before God in all His holiness! Those scriptures both declare; "The fool has said in his heart there is no God!"
Is it crazy to think you are a prophet?
I am an Evangelical Christian, and it is quite common for those of our ilk to refer to themselves as prophets. I personally know a number of prophets. Actually, one of them told me that I myself have prophetic gifts and need to be working more in prophethood.
To outsiders though, it sounds crazy. Many people today seem to think it is crazy to think you are a prophet. What do you think?
My Answer
The ministry of a prophet in this generation has changed from the Elijah and Elisha days. In those days a prophet was called to come into an area and pronounce judgment against God's people if they did not turn and repent for the evil they were doing.
Today's prophet comes into a church and tells people what God has to say to them personally, and then leaves. In this case the person and the church may never see that prophet again. In some cases the same prophet will come back by invitation over and over as is the case in our church.
In the Old Testament in Deuteronomy the test of whether a prophet spoke in the name of the Lord was 100% accuracy. Deuteronomy, 18:21-22 makes it plain so that it is unmistakable. For whatever reason, people in this generation have accepted prophets as genuine even when their prophecies fail. I find that unreasonable for the simple reason that God doesn't make mistakes, and He would not have someone prophesy something knowing it will not happen so to prophesy it would make God look false and the prophet look like a fool.
I personally believe it is time that God called forth some prophets like Elijah, Elisha and Samuel to call the body of Christ and the nation to repentance. There needs to be a Word from the Lord that Christians do what they have been called to do and be an army marching to war against the powers of darkness. A call to get out of their worldly carnal lifestyles and begin to be burdened enough to fight the good fight of faith. Our preaching has become so insipid and lifeless that it is no wonder the unbelievers scoff and laugh at us and our message. The prophets have gone into hiding, as the church refuses to preach on the judgment of God.
I have heard people say, "It's all about love, and God's love will reach them." I believe love speaks softly at times and at other times carries a big stick. Sometimes love is a "fly in your face" kind of love that will hurt someone and even lose their friendship than allow sin to rule in that person's life and destroy them just to keep a friendship. If we don't love someone enough to warn them of impending doom, then our love is a farce. Prophets of this type are not popular and they are not seeking popularity. Their goal in life is very narrow - It is to call all men everywhere to turn to God in repentance and faith in order to see as many as possible delivered from sin, death and hell!
It may be crazy to think you are a prophet if by doing so you believe a modern prophet can prophesy falsely and get away with it. It is not crazy to believe you are called to be a prophet if you are willing to obey God no matter who or what comes your way. It will require a life of sacrifice and pain to surrender yourself totally to this ministry. You will be hated by Christians and non Christians because you are sold out to God and care nothing about whether men love you or like what you say. Read Galatians 1:10 - to see if you qualify!
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