Originally posted by SuzianneWhere is Rajk999's "hypocrisy"? I think you are misusing the word. His disagreements with some Christians here are about what the Bible says about "salvation" in terms of "faith, "sin", and "good works". He hasn't boasted about his own activities in his private life and he hasn't questioned anybody about their activities in their private lives. The way you use the word "hypocrisy" suggests that you don't really know what it means or how to apply it. The debate here is about how to interpret the Bible and your charge of "hypocrisy" doesn't fit at all.
More hypocrisy from one who has just as much trouble "following Christ's commandments" as those he chastises.
Originally posted by FMFHer problem is that she knows that her doctrine of "once saved always saved" is nonsense, but she/they have been in it so long they just cannot understand how they could have been misled all these years.
Where is Rajk999's "hypocrisy"? I think you are misusing the word. His disagreements with some Christians here are about what the Bible says about "salvation" in terms of "faith, "sin", and "good works". He hasn't boasted about his own activities in his private life and he hasn't questioned anybody about their activities in their private lives. The way you use t ...[text shortened]... bate here is about how to interpret the Bible and your charge of "hypocrisy" doesn't fit at all.
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This morning I read most of First Thessalonians. It was very early when I started. I had trouble sleeping. Afterwards I slept very well.
As I read I did not hurry. I mused and paused. I turned a passage over in my mind and in whispers. Then I moved on. Sometimes a phrase would seem to come out at me more than another. I would linger over that phrase and pray it.
An important goal can be that eventually one can hardly distinguish his prayer from reading. One can hardly distinguish one's reading from praying.
A good goal is that eventually one's praying and one's reading seem to merge together. And one's reading and one's praying seem to blend together too.
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No commentary can take the place of the express speaking of the Holy Spirit to your heart by prayerful reading of the Bible. Other's study and comments are very helpful. I especially would not grasp the "big picture" - the overall scheme of God in the Bible, without the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee.
But nothing can replace the speaking of God "expressly" to one's heart and life through prayerful reading of the Bible.
Take this word "expressly". Notice how it was said that the word of God came "expressly" to Ezekiel.
" The word of Jehovah came EXPRESSLY to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river of Chebar;
and the hand of Jehovah was upon him there." (Ezek. 1:3)
The word of God can come to us intimately, personally and expressly when we read the Bible with our hearts turned towards the living God. The key is to read the Bible to come towards God and to have an encounter with Jesus Christ.
You read without a fear and dread of authority. Instead you read with an expectation that something divine will be imparted into you. And something will.
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Some people have a problem of viewing the Bible with dread because of the authority they feel will come crashing down on them. They may think like the wayward Isrealites thought about God's speaking on Mt. Sinai.
They said "All that the Lord has spoken we will do."
Now notice that in Ezekiel's case the word of God came to him with a demand. Yet the word of God ALSO was the very divine SUPPLY enabling him to meet the demand. This has to do with the condition of one's heart, I think.
Observe this peculiar passage. No one taught me this. I observed it in my own reading of the word of God. Probably others have noticed it too.
"Then He said to me, Son of man, stand up on your feet, and I will speak to you.
And the Spirit entered into me when He spoke to me and CAUSED me to stand up on my feet. And I heard Him who spoke to me." (Ezek. 2:1,2)
Not only were the heavens opened to Ezekiel. But he was also EMPOWERED by the entrance of God's word.
We should come asking God to empower us through His word.
We should ask God to let His very word give us life.
We should tell God that we have no trust in ourselves to be able to do much.
But we are made sufficient by the life power in His word.
We can ask this WHILE reading. Remember that I said eventually our reading and our praying seem to merge as one.
Linger, delay.
Turn the rich phrases of the Bible over and over again a few times. Then move on.
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I would like to speak more to lingering and taking time to muse upon the verses of the Bible.
If you have a very open heart, and even if you read silently, some passage or some portion of a passage may seem to come out at you more than others. It is good to take your time over that portion and repeat in your mind or in a soft whisper the words.
If you are troubled with some affliction and you read the Bible, some portion or some words may seem to give you strength. David told us he was so strengthened.
"My soul melts because of grief; Strengthen me according to You word." (Psalm 119:28)
If you were reading through this Psalm, for instance, you might linger over the phrase "strengthen me", repeating it a few times before moving on.
"Ah yes Lord Jesus. Strengthen me. Strengthen me. Strengthen .... Strengthen ... Strengthen ME Lord God."
Then you move on to the next verse. Taking in 20 or 30 verses of the Bible this way in the morning is very helpful. You eventually are not sure if you are reading or praying. But you are repeating when you hit something glowing in your heart.
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I said that it is excellent to read the Bible taking care to notice when a certain phrase seems to be "warmer" or more "glowing" in your heart.
The Apostle Peter said to read the prophetic word until the morning star rises in your heart. That means something of God's presence comes up into your consciousness. Spiritual light arises in your inner heart.
" And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:18)
To Peter the prophetic word had to mean the Old Testament of course. That is the Bible they had at that time. The teachings of Jesus were probably still in the form of oral tradition.
But Peter says to give heed to the Scripture until spiritual light arises within. As you read spiritual light will want to rise up in your heart on certain parts of the passage. Even sometimes on certain words.
Linger there for a moment and thoroughly muse and meditate on that shining portion of the Bible. Then you go on, patiently and slowly not caring to understand everything in the Bible immediately in one sitting.
Originally posted by Rajk999Again, you assume much. You clearly have no idea what you are speaking of, yet it doesn't stop you from accusing and it never has. You are the epitome of "the pot calling the kettle black". You speak all the time of "knowing" the way to God, and yet everything we see from you on this forum, especially your failure to show any love for your Christian brothers, in fact to accuse them at every turn, is proof of your hypocrisy. You sin unrepentantly and maliciously while complaining that others sin by not having the love of God in their hearts. You insist that others fail to "do" while you fail to "do". And that is hypocrisy.
Her problem is that she knows that her doctrine of "once saved always saved" is nonsense, but she/they have been in it so long they just cannot understand how they could have been misled all these years.
Originally posted by FMFAnd you shamelessly lie about me at every turn in order to fawn after someone else you inherently disagree with because it suits your agenda at the time. Don't dare to "preach" to me about hypocrisy.
Where is Rajk999's "hypocrisy"? I think you are misusing the word. His disagreements with some Christians here are about what the Bible says about "salvation" in terms of "faith, "sin", and "good works". He hasn't boasted about his own activities in his private life and he hasn't questioned anybody about their activities in their private lives. The way you use t ...[text shortened]... bate here is about how to interpret the Bible and your charge of "hypocrisy" doesn't fit at all.
Originally posted by SuzianneThis is nothing more than a boring personal attack on Rajk999 ~ [...he "sins unrepentantly and maliciously"?? What on earth are you on about?] ~ and does not defend or justify your "once saved always saved" doctrine at all.
Again, you assume much. You clearly have no idea what you are speaking of, yet it doesn't stop you from accusing and it never has. You are the epitome of "the pot calling the kettle black". You speak all the time of "knowing" the way to God, and yet everything we see from you on this forum, especially your failure to show any love for your Christian brot ...[text shortened]... eir hearts. You insist that others fail to "do" while you fail to "do". And that is hypocrisy.
Originally posted by SuzianneYou use the word "hypocrisy" in a way that suggests that you don't really know what it means.
And you shamelessly lie about me at every turn in order to fawn after someone else you inherently disagree with because it suits your agenda at the time. Don't dare to "preach" to me about hypocrisy.
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Naturally we are all filled with malice.
Naturally we are filled with guile and play acting of hypocrisy.
Peter writes for us to put away these and LONG, YEARN, for the "GUILELESS milk of the word [of God]". In the pure word of the Holy Bible there is nourishing and feeding "milk" in which there is no guile. And it can cause us to grow unto salvation.
"Therefore putting away all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings,
As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation." ( 1 Peter 2:1,2)
Here salvation means the transformation of the emotion, mind, and will. Here salvation means the sanctification and transformation of the soul. It especially means the salvation from malice, trickery, guile, jealousy, envyings, hypocrisies, evil speakings.
These are the germs that plague our fallen and sinful damaged humanity. We did not have to go to school to learn how to be this way. We naturally are infested with these sins.
But we should be as "newborn babes" LONGING for that pure word of God which is totally without guile - "the guileless milk of the word". Little by little, bit by bit, drop by drop we daily take in this guileless nourishment of the Bible that we may be transformed into salvation of the soul.
Originally posted by FMFLol ,, the woman has a lot of personal problems or her head is not screwed on right. 😀
This is nothing more than a boring personal attack on Rajk999 ~ [...he "sins unrepentantly and maliciously"?? What on earth are you on about?] ~ and does not defend or justify your "once saved always saved" doctrine at all.
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"As newborn babes ..."
Concerning the Bible we all should be as newborn babes. Rather than as aged professional consultants so knowledgeable of every Bible matter, we should have the attitude of babies just born.
"As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word ..."
When you go to bed EAGER to arise the next morning to have a little time to read the Bible, then you are getting to love the food, the milk of the word of God.
The word of God is pure and guileless and transformative. Sometimes its pureness seems to be a bother to us. You just eat it anyway. You just drink it in anyway. Difficult passages you can place on the back burner for the time being.
Many people want to master the extensive understanding of every passage they read the first time. This is not the way. First you are just eager like a newly born baby to TASTE the word of God. In tasting the living word of God you will come to taste God Himself.
"As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation,
If you have tasted that the Lord is good."
That is the salvation of coming closer and closer to God.
We can move farther from malice, guile, jealousy, envy, evil speaking and hypocrisy and closer to the taste of the living God.
Originally posted by sonshipAs for the words "malice, trickery, guile, jealousy, envyings" and "evil speakings", I don't much care at this particular moment who you have in mind. The words, though, that Suzianne doesn't seem to know the meaning of, are "hypocrisy" and "hypocrite"
Here salvation means the transformation of the emotion, mind, and will. Here salvation means the sanctification and transformation of the soul. It especially means the salvation from malice, trickery, guile, jealousy, envyings, hypocrisies, evil speakings.