(There's ALWAYS the lightning test!)
Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee
A very rich man decided that he wanted to show kindness to the people of the fair city where he lived. Since he was very rich indeed, he decided to throw a banquet for the entire city. He rented the largest sports arena in the city and began his plans. He planned for huge amounts of the best food possible, making allowances for every religious and medical diet. He advertised the banquet in every possible manner - television, radio, billboard, door-to-door canvassing. Considering that there might be some who could not travel, he arranged for free bus transportation to and from the event, and some special-needs vehicles for all who could not ride busses. He even scheduled the banquet to run for 24 hours a day for several days so that everyone could be sure of being served.
He planned long and hard and finally the big day came. The rich man ate quickly and then went about wishing all his guests well and personally making sure that all had every need met. After a while he went outside to tour the grounds and talk with those who had not yet gone in, and those who had already left. Everyone was happy. Many were profusely thankful. It was a glorious occasion.
At one point the rich man noticed a group of people sitting outside a locked door with most unpleasant looks on their faces. Sensing they were not happy, he went over to them. He did not introduce himself but simply asked them if he could be of service.
"We want to go in through this door," one of them replied.
The rich man explained to them that the hall was arranged to feed a large number of people as quickly and effortlessly as possible. This required order inside, and the entrances and exits had been carefully planned to be as efficient as possible. He then offered to go call one of the golf carts that were avaialbe to help people who could not walk far to take them to the entrance. But the man replied, "We do not want to go in the entrance. We want to go in this door. We don't understand why we can't go in any door we wish. We think the man who set this banquet up is mean and hateful for insisting we go in through the entrance. He has tried to bill himself as a very kind man by offering this banquet, but he is not kind at all if he will not indulge us and let us go through this door.
The rich man was distressed at these words, but still attempted to please these people. He tried once more to explain to them what was behind this particular door, and how if they went in this door they would disrupt the meal service being offered inside. He offered to drive them himself, not only to the door, but inside the hall to their tables if they would only go through the entrance to enjoy the meal. Again the man said, "No, but only a hateful man would keep us from going through the door of our choosing. And we will sit here and tell anyone who will listen to us what an awful man he is until he lets us in."
At that the rich man was enraged and he shouted, "Enough." Then he called a police officer to have them thrown off of the property and ordered that they not be allowed to return until the banquet was over and all the scraps had been hauled away. Then, mourning for their loss, he turned to visit with other guests.
No. It's just that G-d will not contradict Himself. His Word doesn't change, no matter what the medium, oral tradition, Holy Book, or FR thread.
Shalom.
What are your thoughts about people who approached reading the Bible no differently than how they read any other book? I read it no differently than how I read The Iliad.
That's my experience. Yours may vary.
Obviously, mine did.
So, the things you believe most fully you say only once? Or, if I want to know that you really believe a thing I can tell because you never say it at all?
Don't be stupid. I don't know why it doesn't sound credible to you, but it isn't because I repeat it.
Shalom.
I do not believe so, but that is a subject for another thread.
Shalom.
IMO: You would have to work very hard to believe he had been put in the tomb alive.
And even if he was there's no form of proof that he rose up, could just have had his body stolen by nut jobs.
Indeed, that story was circulated. And, if it could have been proven it would have ended Christianity on the spot.
1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.They would not have followed if they did not know that He had truly been raised.
Now, you and I both know that the religious leaders of that day really wanted to end the Nazarene sect. We both know that they had plenty of power and money to figure out what had really happened. They turned this power and money against a group of frightened fishermen from the wrong side of the tracks. One was so afraid that he ran off naked rather than be caught with Jesus.
Do you really think the fishermen fooled the leaders? Do you really think there's another explaination for the leaders' failure to produce the body other than the resurrection?
Shalom.
No. I think G-d is much greater than you seem to be able to imagine.
And G-d founded the church. And G-d set it upon a rock. And G-d will see to it that it accomplishes precisely what G-d created it for.
And G-d is calling you to join.
Come to the Table.
Shalom.
Someday in the not-too-distant future you will understand -- three two five years, perhaps sooner.
Shalom.
Aloha.
Really, truthfully, honestly, I was taken totally by surprise. And as G-d is my witness, I do not know how I can possibly answer everyone and ever do anything else.
Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom.
My view is that it expresses an important truth but that it can not stand alone. That's why we have the entire Bible, and not just one verse.
Since nobody knows what is really going on behind any of the gates until they get there, they must rely on the hearsay of the people in the street, who have never been inside any of the gates themselves.
I am at the banquet now. The food is good. The wine is excellent. The fellowship is divine. I have issued the invitation to you before, but I will repeat it.
Come to the Table.
Shalom.
Shalom.
Wrong.
You are right. I am sorry. That was lexcorp. I confuse the two of you because you say so much that is the same. But you have stuck around and he has not. Please forgive me.
Talk about trying ignoring what one wishes to, SHEESH! Pot, meet kettle!
I will respond to anything that you wish me to respond to.
I'm not putting anybody down.
I disagree. Everytime you tell me my experience is invalid you put me down. You establish a standard of proof that has never been acceptable for living things, then demand I meet that standard. Unfortunately, when dealing with living things, you can't use the repeatable and verifiable experiment model. You have to use the statistical model because living things have will and so are subject to factors beyond simple physical laws. Large samples are required to prove anything about living things.
Unfortunately, there is only one G-d.
The point I make about evidence is the requirement of faith. You have faith. I do not. It's that simple.
But it's not that simple. My faith is based on evidence. My own experience, yes, but also on the evidence of creation, and of the Bible. It is evidence that you can see as well.
You will never be able to present the independently verifiable evidence I require. I don't really care what you choose to believe without evidence. That's your choice, not mine.
It's especially difficult when you establish the impossibility beforehand. But I already know it to be true. You have even admitted that you wouldn't accept your own experience. It's not independently verifiable. But that wouldn't make it any less true.
All I would expect is the same courtesy.
I'm confused about that part. Are you saying that it is discourteous to tell you that you're missing out on a really great meal? I'm not forcing you to go, just encouraging you to.
When I look up at the sky, I see clouds, no god. When I look up at the sky on a clear night, I see the vastness of the universe, but no god. That's good enough for me. I don't need any gods.
G-d is not up in the sky. But He is high above you. You have set yourself up as G-d for yourself. I will continue to pray.
And the prayer will continue to work.
Shalom.
Well, I'm glad we got that settled. :)
Shalom.
The story is a story, nothing more.
But in reality, we who are feasting are doing everything we can to get everyone we know (and even those we don't) to come join us at the banquet.
Shalom.
How about a relationship like Adam had. Walking together in the garden, planning the day's activities, talking about the goodness of the garden.
That relationship was destroyed by Adam. Abraham had a shadow of it. David had a shadow of it. It can not be in fullness until the sin of Adam is destroyed.
And yes, you are right, the Tanak teaches that we are striving for such a relationship. It just doesn't tell us how to have one.
That's why Yeshua came.
Shalom.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.