Posted on 04/30/2010 8:03:48 AM PDT by Quix
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7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, --New Living Translation 7And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.] 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9Pray, therefore, like this: 15But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [j]reckless and willful sins, [k]leaving them, letting them go, and [l]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. --Amplified Pray with Simplicity 5"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? 6"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. 7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: 16-18"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well. |
Mark Kirby: O Mother of Good Counsel, I am all thine, Most Holy Mary, There is no part of my life that is not open to thee, I want to be completely transparent with thee, Praying in this way, I can be at rest, |
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Just might do that. Although I don't believe an open thread would be conductive of a real exchange of ideas. To many partisans.
There is the occasional thread which survives beyond them. I got to know Forest Keeper and Kosta very well on one particular thread. FK is Calvinist SBC and Kosta is Serbian Orthodox.
No "flattery" involved, just telling it as it is. I surely don't know what those "hitting" the web site think, but I do know what those who communicated to me in their messages about the articles they read have said. It's not a matter of keywords, etc.
Thousands of them?
I don't know about that for I never looked at their position when I started - didn't care to. I guess you could say that I am (to use Mad Dawg's expression) kinda sorta on a similar road in a strange sort of way. The Bishop we spent over two hours with agreed that we were correct in what we had found, and even told us that we should continue our work to try to change the church's view on them - but he also warned us that there was no guarantee that we or anyone could get the ears of those responsible for what the church teaches. That's the truth!
I generally look askance at those who wide-eyed claim to be speaking the truth. Emotional claims are not the same as logical and rational argument backed up by facts and data.
I think that could be said about all the denominations of Christianity, including the RCC. That's what "partisan" thinking does! "Dang the truth", they in effect are saying!
Do you mean the Raving Calvinist Club? I thought that you said that you were not Calvinist. I don't get that from your site.
Where does it say in Scripture that Matthias was a witness of Jesus. It does not. Therefore your premise is wrong, and all that is built on it is wrong. The Apostles are not required to be witnesses to Jesus and their successors are not required to be witnesses to Jesus either.
In John's Gospel (at the last supper) IHS tells the 12:
(13:16) ...nor is he who is sent (apostolos) greater than He who sent ( a 'pempo" word) him. ...
(It could be "nor is he who is an apostle greater than He who ...")
(13:20) Whoever receives anyone whom I send receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent (another "pempo"verbal form) me.
Then at the Easter evening upper room appearance He says to the disciples (20:21): As the father has sent (apestalken) me, so I send (pempo) you.
And here's a synoptic parallel:
Matthew 10:40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent (also an 'apostle" word) Me.
The two problems I have with an apostle being known by this standard: First of all, they must teach what Jesus told them to teach. Is that how is the average person to know? Remember the average person has an IQ of 100 and for a very long time couldn't have read a Bible if it were given to him.
And even if he were intelligent and literate AND had the time to study enough to have a strong opinion of what Jesus taught, I bet we could find somebody with the same gifts to the same degree who differed from our first apostle. So this standard begins to sound indistinguishable from "they must be capable of making me agree with their opinion of what Jesus taught."
And the second objection takes into account the dig at 'development'. The written record is sparse, and its interpretation recondite and indeterminate. It's application to varying conditions and cultural developments is vexatious. Not only is there an unfolding in matters of faith and morals, but administrative and logistical challenges arise. Sooner or later, anything from neckties to jewelry, to buttons will be argued by some to be against the teachings of the Lord and of the Bible (though I've never quite understood the problem with buttons.)
So it's hard to see how this can be a useful standard for determining whether someone is an apostle.
In other news, you said:
Pauls ministry to the Gentiles was not made "valid" by the letter (singular) the meeting in Jerusalme sent to the church in Antioch... .
I did not say the letter made his ministry valid. I said it
was known to be valid by the letters the Council sent with him and Barnabas and Judas and Silas.
Paul himself says he went up to Jerusalem to see if he had been running in vain.
Try Acts 1:20-22.
Correct.
Hmmmmmm. I had no idea who she was . . . other than someone who seemed to enjoy displaying her . . . assets.
That is correct, in this case. Now, we have the case of the chosen disciples of the Apostles in the NT, who we consider to have had Apostolic authority passed on to them. How many of them were witnesses to Jesus? How many were not?
They were not disciples of the apostles but of Christ and they didn’t have the same authority as the apostles.
Very few of the disciples would’ve been eye witnesses of Jesus, but to be counted as one of the twelve one did as did Matthias.
Do you have Scriptural evidence of this statement?
Very few of the disciples would’ve been eye witnesses of Jesus, but to be counted as one of the twelve one did as did Matthias.
Do you have any more Scripture on this?
Even John the Baptist, great as he was, could not keep a following in his own name.
Did any besides the apostles have the same authority? Which of them wrote Scripture besides Luke? Or raised a dead person? Or had the testimony of the other apostles like Mathtias and Barsabbas? James had no one elected to follow him at his execution.
In fact, as Paul said, these miraculous gifts were to pass away. (1Cor.13:8)
In Acts 9:36-42 is the account of the death of a disciple. If anyone present had been able to raise her to life there would have been no need to hurriedly bring Peter there but evidently none could.
Verse 41 says Peter called the saints and widows and “presented her to them”.
“Do you have any more Scripture on this?”
In Matt. 10:5-9, Jesus sends out the twelve telling them to “..go only to the lost sheep of Israel and.....
Heal the sick cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received freely give”.
Jesus also commissioned the seventy disciples to “And heal the sick that are therein , and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10:9)
That was quite a bit different from the instructions and authority given the twelve.
By the time John died most of those who had been witnesses of Jesus would have been gone. Who would be left that he could lay hand on as a witness of Christ?
If that doesn't answer your question, I may be misunderstanding what you're asking.
I love this hymn, it’s my heart’s expression of the One to Whom I give my all.
= = =
How deep the Father’s love for us
Stuart Townend
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
What has more authority than the Word of God contained within Scripture?
= =
Evidently some egos . . . in their own minds.
LOL.
Good efforts hereon.
Thx.
Wise sequence.
I agree.
Thx.
Paul said . . . follow me AS I follow Christ. IRRC.
Paul said . . . follow me AS I follow Christ. IRRC.
i DON’T think he said follow me to the toilet or off the cliff.
Love your integrity on this score.
Thx.
YES. THAT ONE IS A TREASURED HYMN, FOR SURE.
THX.
If I win, and Truth doesn't, I have lost. If I lose and Truth wins, I win.
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