for my name: justask
brief intro to me: my name is doug. 3 things I care about now: God, getting connected to a new church, and college at UT Arlington. DC*B is the stuff that makes me sing really loud in my car. these three things i do: worship, praise God, and study.
i am: 23
gender classification: M
my place of stay: ft. worth, texas
July, 2007
March, 2007
January, 2007
November, 2006
October, 2006
September, 2006
August, 2006
July, 2006
June, 2006
May, 2006
April, 2006
March, 2006
January, 2006
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| who do you say i am? |
if God is wanting to speak truth in or about a situation let Him. do not worry about the words that will follow.
too often have i been in a situation and God's reveals truth that needs to be claimed, but i have put my inability and lack of understanding in the way because i do not know how to follow the statement.
now, i know that when this comes, truth and discernment through God's Spirit must be applied to it to know that this thought is not of my own selfish opinion. for instance, when one Jesus asks Peter, "who do you say i am; [how do you claim me]" Jesus replies to Peter answers that "this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." Peter was not timid in his answer; he did not use a disclaimer. Peter claimed Jesus as God's Son, and in this God gave Peter an identity.
do not worry about what you will eat or drink, what you will wear [or how God wants to use you]. God is all about His glory, for He is jealous. if God instills in your heart to speak to someone, He will provide a response if one is necessary.
Above all else, keep a vigilant guard over your heart;
that's where life starts, for the heart is the wellspring of life.
_ref prov4.23 |
Posted: 7/29/2007 1:27:31 AM
|
| far more helpful |
why blame the dark for being dark?
it's far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it should be.
_rob bell |
Posted: 3/7/2007 12:44:28 AM
|
| shimmering dots of light |
God desires and wants everyone to know the richness and glory of the mystery inside and out, without any bias toward background or religious standing. this mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
the shimmering dots of light in the sky at night are beautifully brilliant balls of fire burning billions of light years away! "how could such a King, shine His light on me, and make everything beautiful again?"
where our words fall short is where the fringes of God begin. |
Posted: 1/10/2007 11:51:33 AM
|
| "okay you can chase it, but..." |
romans 1:26-32 tells us that God gave man up to his desires. God is not pouting here because he was not getting his way, but rather, as in Romans 8:20-21, God subjected the creation to frustration in hope that the creation will be brought into the freedom of God;
or it is to say when the creation would rather chase the world, God says “Okay you can chase it, but when you get it and you are still empty and in despair, remember that I am greater than what I have created.”
the ironic part of this is God is the Creator of all things, but now the creation, thinks it is somehow smarter than its Creator, despite its inability to fill the chasm inside its own soul. |
Posted: 1/8/2007 10:58:09 PM
|
| coming back to the heart |
Imagine a husband gives flowers to his wife surprisingly. The wife is excited and joyful; she says they are beautiful. But the husband says he bought them because they were on sale or because he is her husband, it's his job. Does the wife want the flowers anymore? They are worthless because their is no heart behind the gift. The wife wants the heart; she could get a truckload of her favorite flowers, but without the heart the flowers are worthless._rb^sunday
"It seems odd to have to say so, but too much religion is a bad thing. We can't get too much of God, can't get too much faith and obedience, can't get too much love and worship. But religion--the well-intentioned efforts we make to "get it all together" for God--can very well get in the way of what God is doing for us. the main and central action is everywhere and always what God has done, is doing, and will do for us. Jesus is the revelation of that action. Our main and central task is to live in responsive obedience to God's action revealed in Jesus. Our part in the action is the act of faith."_hebrews intro (message)
Malachi 1:6-14
Christianity becomes about religion and less about God.
Matt 23:1-7
God doesn't want our sacrifices, our worship, and service to and for him if we do or give it out of obligation
Have you ever attended a church service out of a sense of duty or because you think you are supposed to?
Is church a building, an hour once a week, or is church people?_rb^sunday
Ps 40:6 & Ps 50:7-15 & Rom 11:34,35
Does God need our sacrifices; is he hungry? Does God need us to attend a church service once or twice a week?
Is 29:13 & Rom 1:32
"Sometimes we have to stop and ask, 'Why do we do what we do?' To keep the family happy? So I don't feel guilty?"_rb^sunday
God is looking for our worship and our heart in the sacrifice.
In Ps 50, God is saying, "I don't find fault with your singing of songs. But do you think I'm in great need of music? Do you think it is too quiet where I am? Did I not make the air molecules to vibrate and dance in such a way to let melody float from here to there? Do you think I am in great need of hearing these songs that were my breathings in the first place?"_praise habit^pg 81, 82
Often our worship and sacrifice can be nothing more than ritual because we are Christian and it is the Christian thing to do. We become caught up in Christianity, rather than being Christian.
How do we know God has our heart and that we are not just going through the motions?_rb^sunday
God hates it when we play a religious show and ignore the poor and needy around us; when we are lukewarm.
Have you ever been part of the show?
What issues in the world do yo think God really cares about?
What are you doing about them?_rb^sunday
What does it mean for our hearts to beat more and more like God's?
In Ps 50:7, "God is leaning in and shouting, 'I am the center!' Our lives are to nod back in agreement. God is not begging to be the center, He is the center."_praise habit^pg 82.
With our hearts beating with God's, we see God and his beauty in everything.
"It is a subtle but necessary shift. It is more difficult to find the Creator in a barbecue sandwich than your favorite Sunday-morning song, but when you do, when you begin to find Him in all the stuff of life, everything starts singing. Every moment breaks into song. Every breath becomes sacrifice, and the songs become sweetness. This is living praise."_praise habit^pg 82
How could our hearts beating and our lives being praise change the way the world sees Christianity?_rb^sunday
When God has our heart, everything else falls into place. |
Posted: 1/7/2007 2:22:05 AM
|
| a barbaric YAWP |
| praise God from the highest mountain; thank God with a barbaric yawp; do not withstrain in giving to God's praise! because it is not by our own doing that we can have life, or be obedient. it is through the victory and strength of the Christ. |
Posted: 11/11/2006 10:51:37 AM
|
| your opinion needed |
i'm wanting to enter a creative writing contest and i am unsure as to which piece i should submit because each contestant is limited to one entry.
if you could review these and give your opinion, i would be much appreciative.
poems
**edit 11/6**
there are three poems. the two on the left differentiated by their justification. |
Posted: 11/4/2006 6:05:53 PM
|
| You and i |
me*O God where are you now?
God^listen.
*why have you turned a deaf ear my way?
^why are you not listening?
*i'm crying out to you, won't you hear earnest plea?
^be still and know I AM
^I stand here and knock, yet you are too
comfortable in your bed.
^what seems right to you is foolish.
what seems right to me is.
^you need assurance,
then my presence will go with you
|
Posted: 10/1/2006 1:40:54 PM
|
| a conversation: pt 4 |
**my thoughts** and his thoughts:
**So would you then be more apt to believe in some other religious text if it was written as a whole?**
You cannot convince the faithless. If religion didn’t require faith, it would be fact. No book will make me believe in a god without a quantitative test.
**God is omniscience, which you state. Are you? Do you know of any creature that can actually and accurately to the fraction tell you the future? Even when God does let us know something is going to happen, He doesn't tell us what is going to happen.**
That is completely irrelevant. Our knowledge of the future is irrelevant. If some hermit in the desert could tell the future and never told anybody, that would mean we have no free will, because someone, somewhere, can determine events beyond our control.
**Righteous is to be only good >all< the time. So righteous is relativistically similar to being good, yes? Evil is to be only bad >all< the time. So evil is relativistically similar to bad, yes? Are you always good-in that you never do bad, *regardless* of relativistic thought towards "what is good or what is bad?"**
Righteous is a religious good, a holy good. Evil is a religious bad, a holy bad. And I argue that nobody anywhere is capable of being only good or only bad, which is why righteousness and evil don’t exist.
**Plain and simple, moral relativism is a broken system (If you desire I could, in summary, expand upon this). You are correct in saying this unrighteous world is headed for Hell. But guess what, there is a way out.**
Relativism is the ONLY system. Even Christians use it! There are no two Christians that believe in the same things. And even if relativism is a broken system, the Christian-judeo god’s system is just as bad. He killed anyone he didn’t like and played favorites to the isrealites for the entire old testament.
**Circular logic. Okay, say you ask me to prove that the president lives in the White House. It's by looking into the White House that you find the necessary proof to prove that the president lives in the White House. Have you ever heard of the book "The Case for Christ?" Do you ever write something and it just flows--you hardly had to think out what you were writing?**
God doesn’t live in the White House. I can go to the White House and see our dumbass president with my own two eyes. Any claim that there is undeniable proof of god’s existence is a secondhand account with evidence that can be linked to ANY god. I could use this logic to say that Satan created everything.
**If God allows Lot to live after offering his daughters, can you begin imagine what the rest of the people were like? Notice what the men of Sodom ask of Lot's guests before Lot offers his daughters. And like you say, no one is perfect; no one gets it just right the first time. Abraham pleads for Sodom, not Lot. >This just shows that God listens to our pleas. Did you did read why Abraham pleads for Sodom and why God listens?**
Your logic operates within a system of predetermined ideas. You cannot see outside of the realm of God. If I give you a problem, you assume there is an answer and find something that satisfies you. But there is no legitimate reason that a god’s WILL can be swayed. For a GOD to change his or her mind, he is basically admitting he was previously wrong. And a god cannot be wrong.
**God's righteousness qualifies Him to judge. An unrighteous judge, this is absurd.**
There is absolutely no evidence to convey that god is righteous. The only evidence you can give me is people calling him righteous in the bible.
**If God were false, and all that I know is made up, I would still strive after what the Bible teaches. For in no way has its teaching forsaken me.**
I strive for a lot of what the bible teaches. Every religion has the same basic principles. Do not kill, do not steal. But I can trust in these totems of morality without a god. If god is false, then you have lost nothing. You still have chosen your morals for yourself.
**To just say in words to someone, "I believe" does not truly clarify much. Even the demons believe there is one God and shudder. To confess with words outwardly is one matter, to truly believe is a matter of the heart. I cannot tell you if someone on death row is actually saved from his sin, from all the bad things that he has done in his life. One can have knowledge yet still not know what that knowledge teaches.**
But you must admit, if a murderer on death row truly believed in God before his death, he would go into heaven. But if an atheist that served humanity with every breath died, he’d suffer eternal damnation. That is not a righteous god.
**Why should we make excuses by pointing at others around us, when it is us who are on trial? Why should i worry about the spec-stain on your shirt when my entire wardrobe is covered in stains; when my actions are being looked at?**
I don’t understand the purpose of this paragraph.
**If God didn't have my offering, then God would no longer function. If God didn't have my praise, He would be bored out of His ever-loving mind. If I didn't pray to God than God would be less God until I prayed. (I am using human argument.) God wants and/or needs what we have to give Him? I'm not sure if you read what I read. Maybe it was the translation? Did you notice what Psalm 50:9-13 and Malachi 1:13 is saying about GOD? Explain to me why you think "God is just a kid with an ant farm and 'nothing divine to be worshipped'".**
You are telling me that your actions DIRECTLY AFFECT the POWER of GOD? That is a complete contradiction to the definition of a god. He is a creature of infinite power! How could minute peons of existence like us even put a blip on his radar? You are telling me without the offerings of man, God would cease to be. Sounds to me like we are the gods.
And why is god a kid with an ant farm? The only time he ever took care of his people is when he sent Jesus in the New Testament, and Jesus missed a lot of oppurtunites to fix stuff. Look at slavery. Jesus never once in the bible addresses slavery. Or pedophilia. Were slaves and children not important enough for god to address? Or perhaps slavery and pedophilia are acceptable institutions that society incorrectly perceives as immoral.
**Would you say that you believe in the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Way, but not believe in the ten Commandments? If so why? What makes Buddhism any more credible than Christianity to you, Richard--not what this book you are reading says or what someone has told you.**
What book am I reading? Are you referring to bible? I’m a little confused when you reference this book I’m reading. And everything I have told you comes from my own understanding of what I read. It’s ironic you insinuate these ideas are not my own.
And I don’t “believe” in any religious institution. I merely understand the value in certain ideas. I am far too cautious to possess faith. Buddhism, by the way, is a philosophy and not a religion.
**I agree, I still lack sufficient knowledge in details of other religions, though for the most part I have the gist of most, though it is still lacking.**
I do not believe you have the gist. You know just enough to invalidate them compared to your own.
**However, God is bigger than any religion or world-view man can think up; God is bigger than the Christian faith. Once we constrain God to limits, God is no longer GOD but now a little 'g' god that man has created, an idol.**
There is absolutely no evidence to support the idea that this god is not made up by man. Why believe in this religion instead of any other? Why be a Christian and not be a Jew or a Muslim, who all share the same god?
The Bible itself constrains god to limits, just like any holy text. The mere notion that we as mortal men can possibly inscribe any description of a supreme being into a communicable form to share with others is absolutely absurd. If there is a god, he would be a Truth, capital T as described by Plato. We would not receive him through our senses. We would not receive him through an exchange of information. We would simply Know of him, capital K. The shortest difference between two points is a line. Going from man to bible to god is not acceptable. It fails. God can only be experienced if he does indeed exist through illumination and nothing more. |
Posted: 9/14/2006 9:53:57 PM
|
| a conversation: pt 3 |
**my thoughts** and his thoughts:
**you do not believe in Satan's existence yet believe certain parts of the Bible, are you just going through, picking what sounds good to you? God created you, is it God's fault when you choose do something opposed to God?**
I don’t believe in any of the bible. I’m not a Christian, I’m agnostic. The bible was democratically compiled three hundred years after the alleged son of god’s death at the council of Nicea by Constantine. It holds no weight in my mind at all.
God did not create me. And if there is a god, yes it is his fault. Omniscience=no free will for mankind.
**so if evil, regardless of its origin, is not the opposite of good, what is it; what do you think, not what do books think?**
Evil is a religious term. I won’t define it because it does not apply to me.
**what are the secular terms that you define your goodness by? I understand our depravity so, again purely hypothetically, I ask, do you consider yourself good according to the ten commandments. Have you heard of binding and loosing, forbidding and permitting (Matt 16:19)? Why are the ten commandments not your kind of rule-book?**
Goodness is a relative word. It is defined individually and not by a single entity, therefore my personal definition of good is irrelevant. And if I were to believe in the ten commandments, I would consider myself on the first ticket to “hell”. I would also believe the entire human race is on its way as well.
**Do you think there is a difference between manipulation and interpretation? Clarify this "commit adultery to her." If the KJV is too incredible, then look back to the original language. "All scripture is God-breathed..." (2 Tim 3:16). Regardless of translation, new or old, this verse makes it clear that God guides the translators of His Word.**
Sorry, that’s complete crap. Divinely inspired narration requires more faith than believing in god himself. I have to believe that a man who tells me god told him to write something. That is harder to believe in than a god. And that also results in the circular logic paradox: What supports your beliefs on god? The bible. Who wrote the Bible? God.
**How can we as humans, being contingent and limited in thought, truly understand God's reasoning? Is not that what discussion and God-led interpretation is for. It seems to me that since God is just and without imperfection, He has the authority to judge.**
All of the decisions god makes in the bible are reactions and spawned from human-like emotions that god “feels”. If we are to believe in the bible than understanding god is no harder than understanding ourselves. Just like every other religion in the world, man wrote his god to be just like him. Take Lot for instance; God says he is going to kill everyone Sodom and Gomorra because they are “terrible.” His solution? “I will simply kill them all.” And Lot, the only halfway decent guy in town according to god (and he’s not a decent guy, he offers his daughters as sexual objects to the villagers and god still calls him a righteous man), BARTERS with god on how many good men he must find to spare the villages. God is HAGGLED down so Lot can find one good man in Sodom and Gomorra. The will of god is bent simply from this? His supposedly divine judgement of this town will be changed if Lot can find a good man? Why entertain this? He knows EVERYTHING. He would know if Lot could find a good man, or fifty as initially was the argument. This is an example of how god is just a kid with an ant farm and nothing divine to be worshipped.
**What about where 2 John 1:17 states, "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh"? If the anti-christ were of God, would not he acknowledge God? Which prophesy of the end of the world are you speaking of, there are quite a few? Are not impostors of anything usually not for what they impostor? Which kind of worshippers, of God or of the anti-christ? I am confused by what you are trying to convey, if God is using the anti-christ as a medium for the glory of God, why would he deviate people from His, God's, kingdom? Would not He lead people to His kingdom?**
**Do you specifically know what choices you are going to make tomorrow regarding your behavior, actions, or speech before you arrive at the situations? How can you, Richard, pre-decide if you don't know what is going to happen? Right, there is no force; we are given the choice to decide. Otherwise we would be preprogrammed robots. Richard, I am not a like robot nor are you. You said obviously no man would choose eternal damnation. What if you knew how to not face eternal damnation? What would you do?**
If there is a god: We. Do. Not. Have. Free. Will. That means that this entire conversation, all of the chemicals and electrons in our brains that are stimulating us into believing we are creating these thoughts for ourselves, are predetermined. The millions of arguments over the last thousand years about free will were predetermined. The last minute decisions are all predetermined. This moment in your life where you believe you have a free will are predetermined. I’m not saying you are CONSCIOUS that you have no free will. Just because we don’t know what will happen in the future does not mean it isn’t predetermined. If you believe god knows everything, then he knows what will happen, if he knows what will happen then the events in the future by definition are predetermined. If a single creature could tell the future, god or not, then we don’t have a choice what will happen. I believe we have a free will, because I don’t believe in a god. You cannot have both, period.
**In reference to God's righteousness, would you mind reading Romans 3 for me, specifically 5-8. [One easily forgets what one reads once. One will not soon forget what they ponder.]**
You cannot justify god’s righteousness with a book written by man. Hell, you can’t justify his righteousness with a book written by god. I read this passage and all it does is grant god the right to judge. What makes him qualified to judge? Judgment seems important to you. I would really like to believe that bad actions have bad consequences and good deeds are always rewarded. I really would. I just see no evidence on this plane of existence to prove such a thing.
**According to you, where do those who do not choose God go upon death?**
The ground, just like those who choose God.
**According to the Bible, where do those who not choose God go upon death?**
Hell, which makes god an asshole. People that commit the greatest humanitarian acts and are atheist or perhaps agnostic like myself go to hell, mass murderers on death row that accept Jesus in their final hour go to heaven. That’s pretty crappy judgment.
**Okay, if sin has no value to you, what value would you give it then; how would you define it as a word?**
I cannot define the word. It has no application in my life because I don’t live by that construct. And religion is a construct; the rules of religion only apply to what lies within it. To define that word while not participating would be irresponsible.
**Read Psalm 50, specifically verse 12 & 13, and Malachi 1:6-4 for me if you would. What do you see God saying about what He requires in these passages? Do these answer your question about God needing anything we give Him?**
Basically god wanted animal sacrifices and then changed his mind. I’m not sure where this applies.
**Buddhism and it's teachings are simply literature, though I'm sure it contains some interesting text. Are there four or eight noble truths? Why suffer when we can have life and have it abundantly?**
Buddhism says not to suffer in its Four Noble Truths, applied with the Eightfold Path. And it is not “simply literature” as you have so quickly written it off as. It is just as valuable as your religion. If you had read it you would see that it believes suffering is the cause of all of our problems and that eliminating suffering, which is the purpose of the last five ten commandments, will bring happiness. I have to suggest you read about other religions beyond your own. |
Posted: 9/14/2006 9:45:57 PM
|
| a conversation: pt 2 |
**my thoughts** and his thoughts:
**Let me clarify, prior to referencing Satan: 2:12 states "...These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword," which leads into verse 13. **
I have "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges" just for clarification as well.
**I'm confused, does not anti-anything usually oppose what it is anti of? The anti-christ is just that anti Christ. Why would God speak through someone who is against Him? Isn’t Satan against God?**
the ONLY time the anti-christ is called "the anti-christ" in the bible is in 2 John 1:17: "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." That one reference does not necessarily say that the anti-christ is Satan. And Satan I believe is a ridiculous idea anyways. God created both good and evil, and if there was a Satan that opposed God, then it's God's fault Satan even exists to oppose. And a supreme being would know that if he created Satan, that he would be opposed by his creation because he is omniscient.
**Do you think you are a good person? What constitutes a good person? If standards are what define a good person, who can define them? Hypothetically, for face value, consider the ten commandments? Would you be a good person *if* you were judged by the ten commandments?**
I consider myself a good person, but I define good on secular terms, and do not believe evil to be the opposite of good, because evil is a religious term that means much more than bad, the actual opposite of good. And I would have to say NOBODY is good if you compare them to the ten commandments. We all on almost a weekly basis break the sabbath, we all covet (desire), which half of the commandments condemn, and I don't really believe in that system. Moses told his people to stone a man gathering firewood because he did so on the sabbath. Not my kind of rulebook.
**Do not forget this is a sickbed. Consider that this adultery is being literal and symbolic at the same time; “those who commit adultery with her” could also be interpreted, or lead the reader to believe, “those who follow and are led by Jezebel’s false prophecies.” If you read the KJV translation “her deeds” is translated “their deeds.”**
I do not argue with interpretations, because I myself can manipulate those as I see fit. The literal interpretation of the bible says Jesus/anti-christ will commit adultery to her, and kill children. And as for KJV, I refuse to hold it valid, because the purpose of its commission, which was only maybe 800 years ago, was to establish male dominance by altering any feminine refernces to god, and to establish divine right, so that the king's foothold on his nation was soverign by God himself, making James incapable of being overthrown without sending the traitor to eternal damnation. Convenient little trick, and makes for an untrustworthy book.
**What about in the exodus story where God has all the firstborn killed?**
What about it? He's killing children! How can that be justified!
**Yes lies will be told and people will readily accept them, but if the anti-christ is opposed to God, why would the anti-christ excuse those for not being anti-God?**
There is nothing in the bible that says the anti-christ will be opposed to God. In my opinion, the anti-christ would be doing God's work. God will catylse the end of the world, and do so with the anti-christ. Who gave the prophecy of the end of the world? Was it not God through Jesus?
And since the anti-christ would be a deceiver and an imposter of Jesus, he will not condemn worshippers. He will speak of God just like any other preacher, but his message will deviate from whatever the true word of God is, which if there is a god the odds of us knowing what he wants are inconceivable.
**God gives every person a choice.**
No, if god knows everything, then there is no such thing as free will, because all of our actions are predetermined. And I never said anything about being forced into something, I simply said we are given an altimadum in the circumstances presented. Man supposedly can choose eternal damnation, which obviously no man would.
**However, God is the righteous judge, and like any good judge he abides by the law. Not only does the law bring correction, but it brings a knowledge of sin. And the penalty of sin is death. There is nothing peaceful about death. Do you agree?**
I would have to disagree with this statement on many levels. I first must say that he is not righteous, since he has killed millions in the bible for selfish reasons, and actually, killed more people than Satan ever did. Something to note, Satan killed only ten people in the Bible, with God's permission, when testing Job.
And sin is a word without value. It means nothing outside of the realm of Christianity and only applies to those that believe in it.
I would have to say any supreme being that requires my worship and my regret is not a God. He should be beyond such petty desires, he should be beyond all desires. Every religion, including Christianity, believes that desire causes suffering (see Buddhism's Eight Noble Truths and the Ten Commandments). Why would a God desire anything? He would never even get that far, because he would posess anything within the thought of it. Desiring our worship and praise and self-loathing is rather petty in my opinion. |
Posted: 9/14/2006 9:45:25 PM
|
| a conversation: pt 1 |
here is a conversation me and a friend are having through messaging:
**my thoughts** and his thoughts
**a sharp double-edged sword!
_revelation1:15-17**
Out of his mouth?
**Yea. the words that Jesus speaks are as sharp as a double-edged sword.
Why do you think "out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword?"**
Well, I don't believe in any of it, I'm just pointing out the book cannot be taken literally and will always fail because it is open to interpretation. But if I had to guess, the context of that passage insinuates that the one speaking those words could have been the anti-christ, not necessarily Jesus. Regardless of who it is, he spends the next two chapters threatening repent or else he will send them to hell, commit adultery upon one of them and kill their children. The double-edged sword is an altimadum: follow or suffer, resist or serve.
**The one describing what he saw was the author of the book. The author of the book was John (1:1). Is it interpretation which leads you to say that it is the anti-christ that has the double-edged sword?**
My interpretation, yes.
**When I read it, I found that in 2:13, He who has the double-edged sword is referencing Satan.**
"I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn't deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." that is 2:13, no reference to the sword is made.
**Isn't the anti-christ Satan? And if it is the anti-christ who has the sword, why would he reference himself in the third person? Why would the anti-christ want repentance against sin if he thrives off of man's sin?**
The anti-christ is not Satan, but a false prophet claiming to be Jesus, and if the prophecy is delivered from God, then I would assume that the anti-christ is sent by God and not Satan.
**What is the point of repenting? what do you think to repent means?**
I see no point in repenting unless you fear hell.
**Is the adultery you are referencing, that which is found in 2:22? In verse 21, He who is speaking, He who has the sword gives grace, but Jezebel never received it.**
My point in referencing that is that the anti-christ "will throw her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great oppression, unless they repent of her works."" That's rape. Rather the anti-christ is threatening to rape her or Jesus is.
**I think the children were killed because of the manor in which they were conceived.**
I will never be satisfied with any justification to kill a child, which is encouraged in the bible in a few passages.
**What about 2:24? Would not the anti-christ want to spread his "deep secrets"? And if so, why would he look over those who have not learned the secrets?**
False prophets will tell lies to gain followers.
**Are the points you gave what lead you to believe the sword is an altimadum?**
"repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly" 2:5. He then tells of the rape and children killing. "OR ELSE" sounds like an altimadum to me.
**When a sword cuts, it divides one into two.**
Swords do not stand for division, they stand for power and for violence. And the threats made by Jesus/Anti-Christ are apparent. Jesus himself refers to a sword as an antonym to peace in the quote I gave you. The sword does not bring peace and I will not respect a religion that does not strive for it. That's my two cents |
Posted: 9/14/2006 9:36:20 PM
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| to judge or not to judge |
this subject is quite important, so it seems.
i've got something for you, just wait. |
Posted: 9/1/2006 8:50:37 AM
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| as the lark ascends |
"...and i'm trying to make you sing.
like it's something that you need.
from inside where you believe.
i'm just trying to make you sing."
a brilliant collision is coming... |
Posted: 9/1/2006 12:21:30 AM
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| to live is Christ |
"for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Life versus even more life! I can't lose."_Philippians 1:21
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Posted: 8/15/2006 1:15:46 AM
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| my thoughts: ...and it didn't work |
Do you ever wonder what the hurry is to get out of school just to get stuck behind a 9 to 5 job until you retire at 60something? it seems to me the more and more i realize what this world defines as successful, the more i realize i want success on God's terms. Here's the thing:
"But whatever was to my profit i now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, i consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake i have lost all things. i consider them rubbish, that i may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. i gave up all that inferior stuff so i could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. And so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead"
_phil 3:7-11
that's not all...
"i am not saying this because i am in need, for i have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. i know what it is to be in need, and i know what it is to have plenty. i have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
_phil 4:11-13
Here's my point. This life of the world is predictable: high school, college, time off, marriage, career, kids, retirement, and a few in betweens. i don't want to conform to the patterns of this world, what the world calls success. a degree is nice, but it is nothing more than spitting into the wind anyway in 50 years. nice things will only be nice until they are replaced.
"What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
_Galatians 2:19-20 |
Posted: 8/8/2006 1:24:01 AM
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| all things are yours |
"One of the first things God does in creating the world is separate dark and light...the rest of the Scriptures is God teaching people how to distinguish between dark and light...
Being Christian is about engaging the mind and heart more and more, not shutting them off or letting someone else thing for you [or just doing]...
We have to test everything[--what is good, pleasing, and perfect--and to not just take it for face value]...
We claim the beautiful and the good and the true wherever we find it, because all things are ours...
Being Christian is not cutting yourself off from real life; it is entering into it more fully.
It is not failing to go deeper; it is going deeper than ever.
It is a journey into the heart of how things really are.
What is it that makes you feel alive? What is it that makes your soul soar...
Do you and i walk on holy ground all the time, but we are moving so fast and returning so many calls and writing so many emails and having such long lists to get done that we miss it...
'God is in this place, and I wasn't aware of it' (genesis28:16)."
_rob bell(velvet elvis 86,91) |
Posted: 8/6/2006 4:24:02 AM
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| One^Way |
{One^Way}
"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for crowds of people choose the easy way. But the gateway to life—to God!—is small and vigorous and requires total attention; and the road is narrow, only a few ever find it."
_matt 7:13-14 |
Posted: 7/26/2006 11:38:12 PM
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| the only assurance |
_this race i cannot go at alone. to attempt to make any progress on my own will just land me flat on my face; up to my neck in miry, horrible clay. i cannot tell God "go here" or "show up there." No! God's will is not mine, though He guides me by it through His Spirit and presence. The LORD, He is unpredictable. the only assurance we can have is His presence with us; the Holy Spirit who comes in us when we accept Christ as our Saviour, the only means by which we can stand in the presence of the LORD ALMIGHTY.
"I mean, I look at nature and I say 'my God!' because I've seen the creator. I look into black skies strewn with shimmering dots of light - nights with stars that sometimes seem to hum and buzz with word of their maker. Moonlight you can feel on your skin if you pay really close attention some October evening, a touch of remembrance that the sun is shining just as bright as ever and dawn is coming. Brilliant drops of rain that sing His name all the way down their journey from cloud to dirt and in the summertime you can feel the grass growing underfoot if you're really still. Life taking root and digging deeper…And Christ I know. I mean that the God that created is the one who came and the one I call friend, the one whose presence is here and accessible, the one who rescues me and keeps rescuing me. And this is the mystery - that this majestic one would come near. Would lean in close in all of His glory and…embrace us. To rend the division between us and Him. And if you pay really close attention his nearness can leave you with out breath. Nothing to argue, no words adequate. Just lost in the mystery of his love. In His majestic rescue."
_d*crowder |
Posted: 7/25/2006 10:26:53 PM
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| my thoughts: who am i |
_as for me, i am poor and needy; i am nothing and have nothing. but through and only by God can i be something.
_i am made of failure. i am made of want. i am made of smoke. my life is like the morning mist. only God can give my purpose. Period.
_God, break me so i know hwo mighty You are. But GOD, don't stop there. God, don't wait to use me. God, use me for Your glory while You continue teaching me. And God, do not put it off. Use me; consume me now!
_To waste this life for Your glory is the best way to spend a life, that Your kingdom shall be furthered for Your renown, O LORD. God, send me if You will; keep me here if that is what You desire of this heart. Whatever it is Father, prepare me for that day, and spend my life throughout the entire time.
Amen. |
Posted: 7/25/2006 10:05:52 PM
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| Know, don't just know |
During a seminar at Pine Cove I learned more about what it is to KNOW God, rather than to just know God. We can hear things an innumerable amount of times and it still be surface deep. I've studied it and heard it but yet I don't know! Jesus gives us adequacy not perfection. Example:
Once when I went to the beach I noticed that the hotel next to ours had this huge, luxurious pool that was about 50 yards or so from the ocean. People filled up the pool, yet about half were in the ocean. Now, when I go to the beach I go to swim in the ocean, to immerse myself in the ocean and see how far out I can swim out. In the pool you can only go so far and so deep, but in the ocean you are unlimited to what you can do. I could dive down until I ran out of air and still not touch the bottom of the ocean. In the pool you may only be able to go down eight or nine feet.
If you limit yourself to surface knowledge, all you'll have is length. If you let yourself go and dive into God, your knowledge will have length and DEPTH.
My heart pounds as I think of this. It leaps within me. Listen carefully to the thunder of God's voice as it rolls from his mouth. It rolls across the heavens, and his lightning flashes out in every direction. Then comes the roaring of the thunder--the tremendous voice of his majesty. He does not restrain the thunder when he speaks. God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We cannot comprehend the greatness of his power. He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. Everyone stops working at such a time so they can recognize his power.
_Job 37:1-7
The God of gods--it's God!--speaks out, shouts, "Earth!"
welcomes the sun in the east,
farewells the disappearing sun in the west.
From the dazzle of Zion,
God blazes into view.
Our God makes his entrance,
he's not shy in his coming.
Starbursts of fireworks precede him.
_Psalm 50:1-3 |
Posted: 6/16/2006 9:34:40 PM
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| my thoughts: ¿questions? |
questions. does God mind questions? maybe that is what God is looking for, questions that come from engaging the living God--naked, honest, vulnerable, raw questions. only by asking these kinds of questions can we grow in our relationship with God.
On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days
So that we won't take anything for granted.
_ecc 7:14 |
Posted: 6/16/2006 1:05:46 AM
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| }{up here}{ |
 _up here God's beauty can be seen stretching farther than the eye can see; up here is between earth and sky. up here there is no edge of definite horizon; up here that which God's breathe breathed fades from white into blue, into forever; the expanse of GOD.
_as the unadulterated white--white only the righteous Creater could imagine, almost blinding as it reflects the sunshine--clouds toss and roll, rise and smooth into the distance, i begin to imagine only in my hopes could something be as beautiful as this; only the richest of fare could think up somthing so grand._up here i like to think of how david crowder described that airy sound as "angelic;"
"There is this sound that is only the sound of sitting in an airplane. The sound of air, this whirring hiss that itself is a little angelic. You can cup your hands to your ears almost covering them completely and come close to duplicating it but not quite. You hear that? The only way I know to describe it is airy. Well during one of my flights I was listening to this sound and looking out the window at waves of white clouds with sunlight turning a section of them yellow and this phrase popped into my head, "all this for a king". I had this image of an ocean of angels in song and their voices like none ever heard. English probably not the language of choice and for some reason in my head it seemed like the sound of air, a sound that contained all the pitches and tonal colors at once and was at once overwhelmingly beautiful and compelling, reflecting and retaining all at once. I started thinking about the well-known passages from Revelations where John is given a brief glimpse into the heavens to find a chorus existing eternally. I recalled the Psalms when the Psalmist describes the heavens and earth as constantly telling the glories of God. Thinking about the reality that we exist to be apart of this resounding anthem. We are here just for this - all for a King. The King."
_d*crowder
at 34,000 feet, i wonder "how deep, how high, how long, how wide," how indescribable is this God, our God, and why He seeks after this heart of thine; of His creation, you and me.
_up here small ice flakes form on the windows, each as different and individually formed and crafted as you and me. up here one could get lost in this  white sea and white mountains; how awe-mazing it is that God is guiding us to shore at a destination He has perfectly planned, keeping us safe within the palm of His hand the entire way. trust have i in this piece of flying metal, but greater the trust have i in He who (came to rescue me and see that i, we, have the ability to be with Him, complete through Jesus, God, in glory) keeps my steps secure.
_clouds into sky, sky into space, only God knows where space fades into His glory. up here no mountain peak reaches; even up here God does not fail to declare Himself. where the white clouds meet the blue they mix, forming this powdered sky blue with a trace of turquoise. the blue above, oh! the blue above; neither a distinct blue nor a deep ocean blue, rather a blue which hides a secret; as if it knows something that cannot be articulated but only experienced.
_how great thou art and greatly to be praised is Your righteousness. all glory and honor and praise be unto the LORD of Hosts, the GOD-of-Angel-Armies.
Foreverandever Etc.
Amen.
 |
Posted: 6/15/2006 2:14:00 AM
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| question: |
WHERE AM I TODAY IN MY FAITH?
_today, i'm continually looking to God to pick me up when i take my focus off of Him. i want to step out of the boat, but only if I am called. to step out on my own, because of my will would be disastous.
WHERE AM I TODAY?
_right now, i desire to focus on God's face, or even the side of His face, more than ever. so often, right now, am i getting distracted by the storm around me; this is not who i am supposed to be.
WHERE IS MY HEART?
_my heart is set on God. my steps may fail, my thoughts may wander because of weakness, but seeking after God, wasting this life for His glory is the best way to spend this life.
WHAT AM I DESTINED FOR?
_i am destined for God's glory. i am destined not to seek after my own heart, but God's. and whatever He gives to me along the way, whatever struggles, God's will be done. |
Posted: 5/19/2006 8:38:24 PM
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| [insert creative name here]: the sound of thunder |
i'm thrilled to hear the sound of thunder. it's let me know how small i am and how mighty God IS. plus, to hear the sky singing praises to God is pretty awesome too.
Video Sharing at DropShots.comokay so here are links to download video from the chris tomlin concert:short_9MBfull_21MB |
Posted: 4/8/2006 11:22:10 PM
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| the moon dancing in sunshine |
enjoy this life, what God gives to you:
the cool breeze on a warm summer's day; the blissful stars in the open skies; the thunder claps of God's praises; the moon dancing in sunshine; the trees humming in tune of God's excellence; the blades of grass flowing together in excitement of God's greatness; the mountains declaration of God's glory; the comfort of God's presence next to you; the peace He brings to our anxious mind.
O how where words fall short is where truly God begins.
Praise be to GOD, the maker of heaven and earth.
All magnificence, splendor, brilliance, laurels, triumph, admiration, beauty, grandeur, wonder,
fame, marvel, exclamation, and greatness be
unto the LORD of hosts
FOREVERANDEVER ETC.
Amen |
Posted: 4/8/2006 11:17:38 PM
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| "no reserves. no retreats. no regrets." |
Quotations taken from Borden of Yale
No reserves.
"I'm going to give my life to prepare for the mission field."
No retreats.
Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high paying job offers.
He hoped to work with Muslims in China.
No regrets.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. Don't suppress the Spirit
_ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
The bold text are three sentences William Borden left in his bible before his death from spinal meningitis in Egypt, while he was on his way to China to be a missionary. William Borden was heir to the Borden Dairy Estate; he was already a millionaire before he was born. He gave that all up for God's calling on his life. "Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice." |
Posted: 4/8/2006 11:44:49 AM
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| love:world :: vanity:smoke |
"Smoke, nothing but smoke. There's nothing to anything--it's all smoke...One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes--it's business as usual for old planet earth...Everything's boring, utterly boring--no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear. What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There's nothing new on this earth. Year after year it's the same old thing"
-from ecc 1
"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
-from ecc 2
"But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do--busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time--but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Take a good look at God's work. Who could simplify and reduce Creation's curves and angles to a plain straight line? On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won't take anything for granted."
-ecc 3
"Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you--the less you speak, the better...The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke."
-ecc 5
"And who knows what's best for us as we live out our meager smoke--and-shadow lives? And who can tell any of us the next chapter of our lives?"
-ecc 6:12
Okay, so there is this stuff called instantaneous gratification and it is most prevalent in today's era. But you see the thing about this stuff though is it never lasts; here today and gone tomorrow; chasing after the wind; a morning mist. It's like eating food. We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner; it never ends. If this world lasted then we could eat once and never be hungry again. Or think of it like this: whenever we work out, we are constantly needing to hydrate ourselves; never just one refreshment will work.
So, what does satisfy; what quenches; what can make us content;
what lasts; what is truly worth seeking after?
GOD. He satisfies. Chasing after His heart will leave you joyful, fulfilled, complete.
And you know what, He will even comfort you in your loneliness. He will "lift you up out of the horrible pit and place your feet on solid ground; and establish your steps to make sure you don't slip." |
Posted: 3/27/2006 10:04:33 AM
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| this life |
Sometimes I just don't understand this life; how quickly the moment changes. I mean, one moment things couldn't be better. Then in the next instance I can't see the light of day. It's like I had this pile, a mountain, of sand in my hands, I blinked my eyes, turned my head, and it had all fallen through my fingers and been blown away by the wind.
dear anyone
why do we go back to what was; to what we choose to leave just because? is anyone out there; is anyone listening to these meanial words i convey through this computer screen;
does anyone care?
Sometimes you just have to let go; let go of all the "what ifs" and "well maybes" and just see how things end up. But when this happens, no matter how pure the intentions are, if you take a chance in the wrong circumstance, things have a good chance to be taken the wrong way; to go the way you didn't want them to. Just be aware of the intentions and motives behind the action taking place. And whatever happens, don't justify what you did; don't let your motives change with the tide.
"And he can't understand
How everyone goes on breathing when true love ends
His mother whispers quietly...
Heaven's not a place that you go when you die
It's that moment in life when you actually feel alive
So live for the moment
And take this advice, live by every word
Love is just a hoax so forget everything that you have heard
No, heaven's not a place that you go when you die
It's that moment in life when you touch her and you feel alive
So live for the moment
And take this advice, live by every word
Love's completely real, so forget anything that you've heard
And live for the moment now"
-the spill canvas_the tide
dear miss
i did what i did. i can't understand why i did it in that situation either. to explain why i forgive you of the things that happened, unless you desire me to, would just be words; filler unhelpful to the true case needed to be taken care of. i don't understand why you don't think i wasn't upset, i was trust me. it just wasn't in the way you've expected; how many things have i done that went against what you thought i "would" do? have they been for the worse?
i care for you, logically and emotionally. because of this, i think it is necessary to be able to look past events and take care of what the events cause. i told you what i did, these feelings are there and i can't deny them. what good does it bring to overlook and put them off? i think, i feel that there is more to this, us, than just an agreement of how we feel toward one another.
take this for what it is. not a plea or reasons why, but as words from my heart; words from beyond myself. because of this i want to get things right with you, that is why i forgive you. |
Posted: 3/27/2006 2:37:59 AM
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cheric
8/13/2008 2:21:12 PM
Hi I'm back... it's been a while, I had some personal issues that I had to resolve... But I've missed you very much! Wonder if you could accept my friend invite? Thanks and hugs!
magicalmysterytour
12/27/2007 11:24:56 AM
Merry Christmas/Happy New Year.
Hulda
12/20/2007 6:36:21 AM
Hi, Doug, Thanks for leaving me a comment. And for asking such an interesting question! The answer's too long for this little space and in ways too personal to tell you, but I'm glad you asked. It got me thinking. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Hulda
9/7/2007 7:20:59 PM
Hi, Doug, I see you don't get a lot of comments -- neither do I. You're on my friends list but I think this is only the 2nd time I've ever looked at your blog. Just thought I'd drop in and say hello, how are ya?
amyamy
1/7/2007 2:09:14 PM
HAPPY SUNDAY!!!
SOLEI
12/10/2006 11:07:11 AM
How are you today?
wahm4candles
11/11/2006 12:08:42 PM
I LOVE The David Crowder Band, but Jesus more!...just got back from the NYWC in CA. I am a youth worker. Stay strong in the faith.
bpasdaddy2
11/6/2006 9:00:38 AM
One of my favourite musicians comes from Ft. Worth - Townes Van Zandt - ever listen to him?
Lazybones
11/6/2006 2:48:52 AM
wow - you're rather focused on the bible.. do u ever find the language of the bible limiting when you're trying to express your own words and opinion?
BlueRain
11/4/2006 11:15:08 PM
Hi, thanks for the invite, your writings interest me a great deal. Have a good week!
Ari
11/4/2006 6:35:16 PM
Hey thanks for the request! Hope you're having a great weekend!
einahpets225
11/3/2006 3:11:31 PM
Hello justask!
Pris0n3r
10/31/2006 7:01:14 AM
Happy Halloween
Paul1948
10/24/2006 3:48:53 PM
Hello, some of this is pretty deep, Gods love is very simple take care.
shawn
10/17/2006 7:00:56 PM
hi,morning.hope you have a nice day
Bunny
10/13/2006 9:59:18 AM
Hi come join our chat room, click on the button in my bio.
ogirik
10/13/2006 6:06:02 AM
Am so amazed that you are so without a doubt, good for you. I take everything with big pinch of salt
im_so_fake
10/10/2006 11:29:29 AM
your pro is kool../
Kaitlyn
10/9/2006 8:11:44 AM
hi!!! hpe today's great for ya!!! stay chill!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kaitlyn
sparklehoney96
10/7/2006 6:37:21 PM
nice page
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