138d
@KingDavid403 said"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
[Matthew 18:1-5 NKJV] 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The City State of God/Kingdom of God is the perfect State, and Jesus Christ is the man who bears its image, the Ace Philosopher King, and the Anchor of Socrates' Republic, as recorded in writing by his disciple, Plato.
Well, I said, and you would agree (would you not?) that what has been said about the State and the government is not a mere dream, and although difficult not impossible, but only possible in the way which has been supposed; that is to say, when the true philosopher kings are born in a State, one or more of them, despising the honours of this present world which they deem mean and worthless, esteeming above all things right and the honour that springs from right, and regarding justice as the greatest and most necessary of all things, whose ministers they are, and whose principles will be exalted by them when they set in order their own city?
How will they proceed?
They will begin by sending out into the country all the inhabitants of the city who are more than TEN YEARS OLD, and will take possession of their CHILDREN, who will be unaffected by the habits of their parents; these they will train in their own habits and laws, I mean in the laws which we have given them: and in this way the State and constitution of which we were speaking will soonest and most easily attain happiness, and the nation which has such a constitution will gain most.
Yes, that will be the best way. And I think, Socrates, that you have very well described how, if ever, such a constitution might come into being.
Enough then of the perfect State, and of the man who bears its image—there is no difficulty in seeing how we shall describe him.
There is no difficulty, he replied; and I agree with you in thinking that nothing more need be said.
138d
@KellyJay saidSince God acts on your behalf, it's reasonable to deduce that you are playing the role God has assigned to you. As I've been emphasizing, we're all actors performing in God's grand, universal script.
Becoming a Christian is a divine act of God.
Look at it this way also; if God is acting for you or through you, then you possess no free will. By your own admission, you did not freely choose to become a "Christian."
@Suzianne saidI was very generous with the percentage numbers. I'm really not certain on my position, and that's why I ventured to say it, as it's daring and risky for my part to have gone that far to the right with my decimal point. The number is not my brainchild. I was told that many believe they are the Christians who will enter the Kingdom, but the truth is that only a few will enter. To me, a few can be just 3, which is one higher than a couple. And many, on the same premise and promise, can be billions.
Your posted numbers say that you think only one out of every one billion Christians is not fake.
Is this really your position?
Are you the one or are you one of the billion?
Am I the one? In this matrix, the physical universe, If I follow the white rabbit I may be the one. We are all part of the whole, the ONE.
Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
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@moonbus saidAwesome example of true faith! Thank you so much moonbus. 😍
Good reference. We are pretty safe in saying that the little child was not a Christian, since there was no such religion at that time, and therefore neither a genuine one nor a fake one.
For me, the most telling passage in the NT is that wherein a Roman centurion comes to Jesus and asks a favour, for his (the Roman's) servant has fallen ill. Jesus says the most astonishing ...[text shortened]... Christian or a fake Christian. Maybe they'd have more success as pagan soldiers in an occupied land.
@KellyJay said1+1=2. I think this passage spoken by Jesus was meant for us all; not just you, or me.
And that corrects something I said how?
138d
@KellyJay saidThey are bad when there are those without charcoal and meat, starving, and have to walk and crawl on their knees rather than ride, and also cannot relax to enjoy the scenery of poverty, oppression, living in ghettos, and even worse by being homeless and needing to scavenge garbage dumps just for daily survival.
Nice, I love cooking on a fire outdoors, riding horses, and relaxing and checking out the scenery, you think those are bad things?
Besides cooking, you need to love the needy and share with them. Jesus, the carpenter, said: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
138d
@PettyTalk saidAnd….
They are bad when there are those without charcoal and meat, starving, and have to walk and crawl on their knees rather than ride, and also cannot relax to enjoy the scenery of poverty, oppression, living in ghettos, and even worse by being homeless and needing to scavenge garbage dumps just for daily survival.
Besides cooking, you need to love the needy and share wit ...[text shortened]... hese brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUpW783GL0E
You can put a negative twist on anything that doesn’t mean that the thing itself on its own is evil, somethings are evil with no exception.
Trying to trap someone in their words by putting an evil spin on it that must be couched differently than how it was intended when spoken, says more about the second speaker than the first.
@KingDavid403 saidAgain what I said and what you are trying to show me is still a mystery. Did you even read.the post or did you make an assumption about it?
1+1=2. I think this passage spoken by Jesus was meant for us all; not just you, or me.
@PettyTalk saidCan one not do both?
They are bad when there are those without charcoal and meat, starving, and have to walk and crawl on their knees rather than ride, and also cannot relax to enjoy the scenery of poverty, oppression, living in ghettos, and even worse by being homeless and needing to scavenge garbage dumps just for daily survival.
Besides cooking, you need to love the needy and share wit ...[text shortened]... hese brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUpW783GL0E
You judge, yet you don't enlighten us with your own efforts. You set us with neither example nor benchmark. Too much like Rajk.
138d
@KellyJay saidIf only you'd recognize this in your 'heroes' instead of fabricating it for only those you would disagree with.
And….
You can put a negative twist on anything that doesn’t mean that the thing itself on its own is evil, somethings are evil with no exception.
Trying to trap someone in their words by putting an evil spin on it that must be couched differently than how it was intended when spoken, says more about the second speaker than the first.
138d
@PettyTalk saidAmazing.
They are bad when there are those without charcoal and meat, starving, and have to walk and crawl on their knees rather than ride, and also cannot relax to enjoy the scenery of poverty, oppression, living in ghettos, and even worse by being homeless and needing to scavenge garbage dumps just for daily survival.
Besides cooking, you need to love the needy and share wit ...[text shortened]... hese brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUpW783GL0E
This could have been written by any 'fake' Christian.
Do as I say, not as I do.
138d
@PettyTalk saidYou speak too much like someone from the outside looking in, not as someone actually living the faith.
I was very generous with the percentage numbers. I'm really not certain on my position, and that's why I ventured to say it, as it's daring and risky for my part to have gone that far to the right with my decimal point. The number is not my brainchild. I was told that many believe they are the Christians who will enter the Kingdom, but the truth is that only a few will ente ...[text shortened]... will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y
Yes, like some others here.
138d
@PettyTalk saidI am a Christian, and I think you are beyond your ken, here.
Since God acts on your behalf, it's reasonable to deduce that you are playing the role God has assigned to you. As I've been emphasizing, we're all actors performing in God's grand, universal script.
Look at it this way also; if God is acting for you or through you, then you possess no free will. By your own admission, you did not freely choose to become a "Christian."