Replies

I find it odd that you are not willing to explain what you mean by bless. I find it odd that you yourself say that the biblical defintion and the RCC definition are different. I truly wanted to know what you mean by bless. You are the one that used the word. But it would seem that either you do not know, or you don’t think they are the same or whatever. Your evasions speak volumes.

I am not trying to play games. I am quite serious. I also know that there is nothing that I could say or do to change your thinking. In the end, it is the Lord Jesus Christ whom we are to exalt, and I am trying to do that here, yet you want to cast me out, essentially calling me a dog or a swine. Oh well. I have been called worse. It is also always very eye opening when people resort to name calling (with or without scripture). That says a lot to me about you.

In the end, water can’t make you happy, just as water can’t be made happy. It is not necessarily wrong to understand that the Lord God can and does use whatever He wishes to bring someone to a greater knowledge of Himself - which is the only true joy there is. But it is wrong to worship the created thing that He does use. The woman showed an unholy reverence to that vial of water. It did not exalt the name of Christ. It was wrong.

If your feather are ruffled because of that and you want to call me names, then that is sure sign that sin is having its way with you in one way or another. I will let you find the scriptural passages (and there are several) that teach us that truth. When that happens, we need to be on our knees asking Him to show us the evil way in us. And, if we are not being double-minded (James 1), He will do just that. For He is faithful and He will complete the work that He began in those who are known by His name.

FYI - here is an intersting word study. Just in the New Testamen, here are the uses of the word bless, blessed, blessing. The study should reveal to us some interesting things.

Luke 6:28; Acts 3:26; Rom. 12:14; 1Co. 4:12; 10:16; 14:16; Heb. 6:14; Jam. 3:9; 1Pe. 3:9;Mat. 5:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; 11:6; 13:16; 14:19; 16:17; 21:9; 23:39; 24:46; 25:34; 26:26; Mark 6:41; 8:7; 10:16; 11:9, 10; 14:22, 61; Luke 1:42, 45, 48, 68; 2:28, 34; 6:20, 21, 22; 7:23; 9:16; 10:23; 11:27, 28; 12:37, 38, 43; 13:35; 14:14, 15; 19:38; 23:29; 24:30, 50, 51; John 12:13; 13:17; 20:29; Acts 3:25; 20:35; Rom. 1:25; 4:7, 8; 9:5; 2Co. 1:3; 11:31; Gal. 3:8, 9; Eph. 1:3; 1Ti. 1:11; 6:15; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 7:1, 6, 7; 11:21; Jam. 1:12, 25; 1Pe. 1:3; 3:14; 4:14; Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14;Luke 1:64; 24:53; Rom. 4:6, 9; 15:29; 1Co. 10:16; 2Co. 1:11; 9:8; Gal. 3:14; Eph. 1:3; Heb. 6:7; 12:17; Jam. 3:10; 1Pe. 3:9; Rev. 5:12, 13; 7:12;