Bertrand Russell wrote a book, "Why I Am Not a Christian." It was a weak argument. A response to that position of atheism is presented here. It was G.K. Chesterton who said that the atheists convinced him of Christianity.
by Ravi Zacharias
Why I Am Not an Atheist (part 1 of 2)
Why I Am Not an Atheist (part 2 of 2)
With thanks to
Ravi Zachrias International Ministries
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The Weekly Dose by R.S. Neaville 7/31/07
The Weekly Dose by R.S. Neaville
What kind of Church are you attending? Is it one that puts the words of scripture above its traditions? Above its leadership's opinions? You have to ask yourself.
Does your church walk according to the Spirit? Are they led of the Spirit? In other words is your church dependant on a supernatural God and do they hear God's voice clearly in the now?
If the answer is no to either of these questions than you are not in a true congregation of the Christian church. The body of Christ is a supernatural entity dependant on the leading of the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ by the scriptures. Congregations of the bride of Christ live supernatural lives. Most Churches and organizations make supernatural claims but it is only lip service. The fact is most churches lead very carnal lives and and depend only on the opinions and imaginings of men.
Revelation of Christ is what the last days Church is based on . That was what the early church was based on. It is the supernatural rock the Church is built up on.
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
You see that what men thought was completely wrong but what God revealed supernaturally through Jesus was right.The revelation of Jesus Christ is the supernatural rock this church is founded on. As the Apostle paul said:
Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
You need to be in that kind of congregation. Pray that God will lead you to his people.
R.S. Neaville 07/30/2007
www.propheticjournal.net
What kind of Church are you attending? Is it one that puts the words of scripture above its traditions? Above its leadership's opinions? You have to ask yourself.
Does your church walk according to the Spirit? Are they led of the Spirit? In other words is your church dependant on a supernatural God and do they hear God's voice clearly in the now?
If the answer is no to either of these questions than you are not in a true congregation of the Christian church. The body of Christ is a supernatural entity dependant on the leading of the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ by the scriptures. Congregations of the bride of Christ live supernatural lives. Most Churches and organizations make supernatural claims but it is only lip service. The fact is most churches lead very carnal lives and and depend only on the opinions and imaginings of men.
Revelation of Christ is what the last days Church is based on . That was what the early church was based on. It is the supernatural rock the Church is built up on.
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
You see that what men thought was completely wrong but what God revealed supernaturally through Jesus was right.The revelation of Jesus Christ is the supernatural rock this church is founded on. As the Apostle paul said:
Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
You need to be in that kind of congregation. Pray that God will lead you to his people.
R.S. Neaville 07/30/2007
www.propheticjournal.net
People say the most profound things in the simplest of ways.
"No one, by just reading the Bible, has ever become a Mormon;
No one, by just reading the Bible, has ever become a Jehovah’s Witness;
No one, by just reading the Bible, has ever become a Catholic;
But many, by just reading the Bible, have become born-again Christians."
– J. Jacob Prasch
-Thank you Apostasy Alert
No one, by just reading the Bible, has ever become a Jehovah’s Witness;
No one, by just reading the Bible, has ever become a Catholic;
But many, by just reading the Bible, have become born-again Christians."
– J. Jacob Prasch
-Thank you Apostasy Alert
Monday, July 30, 2007
Graciousness and Enoch
gra·ciousness(grshs)
adj.
1. Characterized by kindness, warm courtesy, sympathy, and unaffected politeness
I was struck by the graciousness of a man.
Enoch was being discussed in our chatroom and it was stated the Enoch had not died; I then came on and I read to him Hebrews 11 showing that Enoch did indeed, die.
I spoke to him that Scripture is correct so we must be misguided to think that Enoch did not die when the Scripture says he did.
This man, this brother in Christ said, "Well, we need to fast and pray."
He did not argue to win a point, he did not bat me around the head with out-of-context scripture verses as so many do, he saw that there was something more to this and showed me how a Christian should respond.
This "Sword of the Lord", showed true graciousness and softened a brothers heart and showed me wisdom.
I know, and the Holy Spirit showed me through this man's gentle responce, that the things we learn are taught not by human wisdom but are shown to us by the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor. 2:13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Luke 8:15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."
adj.
1. Characterized by kindness, warm courtesy, sympathy, and unaffected politeness
I was struck by the graciousness of a man.
Enoch was being discussed in our chatroom and it was stated the Enoch had not died; I then came on and I read to him Hebrews 11 showing that Enoch did indeed, die.
I spoke to him that Scripture is correct so we must be misguided to think that Enoch did not die when the Scripture says he did.
This man, this brother in Christ said, "Well, we need to fast and pray."
He did not argue to win a point, he did not bat me around the head with out-of-context scripture verses as so many do, he saw that there was something more to this and showed me how a Christian should respond.
This "Sword of the Lord", showed true graciousness and softened a brothers heart and showed me wisdom.
I know, and the Holy Spirit showed me through this man's gentle responce, that the things we learn are taught not by human wisdom but are shown to us by the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor. 2:13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Luke 8:15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Did Enoch Die? Scriptures say Yes...
This is from http://hereafter.reslight.net/enoch-alive.html with their permission.
Is Enoch Still Alive?
A Restoration Light Publication
Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
Genesis 5:24
World English Bible translation
By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and "he was not found, because God had taken him." For it was attested before he was taken away that "he had pleased God."
Hebrews 11:5
New Revised Standard Version
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,
Hebrews 11:13
New Revised Standard Version
There have been many claims made based on the above scriptures. Some have claimed that Enoch is still alive in the flesh on another planet or somewhere; some have claimed that Enoch is still alive in some kind of supsended animation. But the most common claim is that Enoch was taken to heaven. All of these views claim that he never died. In truth, our conclusion, based simply on the scriptures, is that Enoch died, and was not found, without experiencing death, that is, he did not experience the normal process of dying.
In the World English Bible translation, Paul's statement in Hebrews 11:5 is rendered in this manner: "By faith, Enoch was translated, so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God." The New Revised Standard Version demystifies what was said by saying that Enoch was taken. The Greek word rendered "translated" in the World English Bible simply means to change, transfer or to transpose. The King James Version renders it as "carried over" in Acts 7:16; as "removed" in Galatians 1:6; as "changed" Hebrews 7:12; and as "turning" in Jude 1:4.
The scripture does not say that Enoch did not die, but that he did not "see" death. [eidw = to see, (by impl. and in the perf. only) = to know (perfect used as pres.) -- John Meggison] Paul doesn't say that Enoch was translated into heaven, as many assume, nor does he say that he was translated from mortality into immortality as is also assumed by some. Paul certainly did not say anything about Enoch's soul being immortal at all. All he says is that Enoch did not go through the normal process of dying, thus he did not know death as other people do, and was "translated" into sheol -- the realm of death -- by God. Paul is not saying that every believer will be like Enoch, so as not to see death, nor does he say anything about an alleged immortal soul or immortal spirit sentiency going to heaven.
We know that Enoch did die, for Paul later says (Hebrews 11:13): "These all died in faith." And rather than saying that Enoch was taken to heaven, the Genesis account simply says that "he was not." (Genesis 5:24) Take as it is stated, one would conclude that if he was taken to heaven, that his mortal human fleshly body was taken to heaven, but this is absurd, sense flesh is of the earth, earthly, not of the heavenly. -- 1 Corinthians 15:39-41, 48.
Nothing in any of the scritpures says anything about Enoch's alleged immortal soul or spirit having anything to do with this, or anything about his alleged immortal soul or spirit going to heaven. Indeed, from the way it reads in Genesis, and if anyone would wish to entertain the thought that Enoch went to heaven, then it would appear that he went to heaven in his body of flesh. This, of course, is not at all what the scripture is saying. It simply says "he was not", which, without the Hellenistic influence of inherent immortality read into this, one would simply reason this to mean that he was in the realm of death: sheol.
We also read of all of the faithful of old, which includes Enoch (Hebrews 11:39,40): "These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise, God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect."
The Bible says nothing about Enoch's being translated from life on earth to life somewhere else; it says "he was not." God *took* (Strong's #3947) him in death. -- Genesis 5:24
The Hebrew word (Strong's #3947) is used of being taken into death at Proverbs 24:11:
Rescue those who are being led away (Strong's #3947) to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
This is not saying these are being taken away to heaven, they are being taken away from life.
The same word (Strong's #3947) is used in Ezekiel 33:4:
then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn't take warning, if the sword come, and take him away (Strong's 3947), his blood shall be on his own head.
Certainly this is not saying that God was taking these away to heaven, but rather they were taken away from life; they were to die.
Again, in Ezekiel 33:7:
But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn't blow the trumpet, and the people aren't warned, and the sword comes, and take any person from among them; he is taken away (Strong's 3947) in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
Likewise, this does not mean that these taken away are taken to heaven, but they are taken away from life.
In the New Testament, we read (Matthew 24:39):
and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Those destroyed in the flood of Noah's time were not taken to heaven, but they were taken away from life -- they entered into death.
Many believe that God took him into the realm of death to spare him the suffering that was coming upon due him to his faithfulness. His walk was not as the world around him, and we can be sure that he suffered persecution because of this. -- 2 Timothy 3:12.
This study may be freely copied and distributed for non-profit purposes only as long as no additions or deletions are made to its contents. If you wish to reproduce this study on your site, please copy the graphic below; do not put our email address on your site in any other way (this is to deter spamming.) The addition of addresses, phone number, etc., for local meeting places are permissible in the space provided at the end of the document. We recommend that this lesson be kept in a notebook/folder for future reference.
Is Enoch Still Alive?
A Restoration Light Publication
Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
Genesis 5:24
World English Bible translation
By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and "he was not found, because God had taken him." For it was attested before he was taken away that "he had pleased God."
Hebrews 11:5
New Revised Standard Version
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,
Hebrews 11:13
New Revised Standard Version
There have been many claims made based on the above scriptures. Some have claimed that Enoch is still alive in the flesh on another planet or somewhere; some have claimed that Enoch is still alive in some kind of supsended animation. But the most common claim is that Enoch was taken to heaven. All of these views claim that he never died. In truth, our conclusion, based simply on the scriptures, is that Enoch died, and was not found, without experiencing death, that is, he did not experience the normal process of dying.
In the World English Bible translation, Paul's statement in Hebrews 11:5 is rendered in this manner: "By faith, Enoch was translated, so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God." The New Revised Standard Version demystifies what was said by saying that Enoch was taken. The Greek word rendered "translated" in the World English Bible simply means to change, transfer or to transpose. The King James Version renders it as "carried over" in Acts 7:16; as "removed" in Galatians 1:6; as "changed" Hebrews 7:12; and as "turning" in Jude 1:4.
The scripture does not say that Enoch did not die, but that he did not "see" death. [eidw = to see, (by impl. and in the perf. only) = to know (perfect used as pres.) -- John Meggison] Paul doesn't say that Enoch was translated into heaven, as many assume, nor does he say that he was translated from mortality into immortality as is also assumed by some. Paul certainly did not say anything about Enoch's soul being immortal at all. All he says is that Enoch did not go through the normal process of dying, thus he did not know death as other people do, and was "translated" into sheol -- the realm of death -- by God. Paul is not saying that every believer will be like Enoch, so as not to see death, nor does he say anything about an alleged immortal soul or immortal spirit sentiency going to heaven.
We know that Enoch did die, for Paul later says (Hebrews 11:13): "These all died in faith." And rather than saying that Enoch was taken to heaven, the Genesis account simply says that "he was not." (Genesis 5:24) Take as it is stated, one would conclude that if he was taken to heaven, that his mortal human fleshly body was taken to heaven, but this is absurd, sense flesh is of the earth, earthly, not of the heavenly. -- 1 Corinthians 15:39-41, 48.
Nothing in any of the scritpures says anything about Enoch's alleged immortal soul or spirit having anything to do with this, or anything about his alleged immortal soul or spirit going to heaven. Indeed, from the way it reads in Genesis, and if anyone would wish to entertain the thought that Enoch went to heaven, then it would appear that he went to heaven in his body of flesh. This, of course, is not at all what the scripture is saying. It simply says "he was not", which, without the Hellenistic influence of inherent immortality read into this, one would simply reason this to mean that he was in the realm of death: sheol.
We also read of all of the faithful of old, which includes Enoch (Hebrews 11:39,40): "These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise, God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect."
The Bible says nothing about Enoch's being translated from life on earth to life somewhere else; it says "he was not." God *took* (Strong's #3947) him in death. -- Genesis 5:24
The Hebrew word (Strong's #3947) is used of being taken into death at Proverbs 24:11:
Rescue those who are being led away (Strong's #3947) to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
This is not saying these are being taken away to heaven, they are being taken away from life.
The same word (Strong's #3947) is used in Ezekiel 33:4:
then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn't take warning, if the sword come, and take him away (Strong's 3947), his blood shall be on his own head.
Certainly this is not saying that God was taking these away to heaven, but rather they were taken away from life; they were to die.
Again, in Ezekiel 33:7:
But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn't blow the trumpet, and the people aren't warned, and the sword comes, and take any person from among them; he is taken away (Strong's 3947) in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
Likewise, this does not mean that these taken away are taken to heaven, but they are taken away from life.
In the New Testament, we read (Matthew 24:39):
and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Those destroyed in the flood of Noah's time were not taken to heaven, but they were taken away from life -- they entered into death.
Many believe that God took him into the realm of death to spare him the suffering that was coming upon due him to his faithfulness. His walk was not as the world around him, and we can be sure that he suffered persecution because of this. -- 2 Timothy 3:12.
This study may be freely copied and distributed for non-profit purposes only as long as no additions or deletions are made to its contents. If you wish to reproduce this study on your site, please copy the graphic below; do not put our email address on your site in any other way (this is to deter spamming.) The addition of addresses, phone number, etc., for local meeting places are permissible in the space provided at the end of the document. We recommend that this lesson be kept in a notebook/folder for future reference.
I've met an atheist on Paltalk...
I've met an atheist on Paltalk (atheist being one who doesn’t believe there is a God) and I want to challenge you my friend.
If you want proof of God, ask Jesus for it...
You might say, "I don't believe there is a God or Jesus, why should I ask something of that that isn't there?" and my response is, "Well what does it matter then, if there is no God then nothing will happen, yet if there is one, you will get your proof."
If you are seeking the truth, (you *did* say you didn't believe because you had no proof) I am offering you a way to get proof, all you have to do is *ask*. Yeah, sounds contradictory, but if you *really* are looking for the truth. You will take the challenge.
Christ showed Thomas His wounds so that he would believe, so also will He do the same for you, He will show Himself to you.
1 Corinthians 1:20 says, Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
My friend, do not believe in the rituals of the Catholic church, do not believe in anyone’s *religion*. God is Light and God is Truth, those who worship Him must worship Him in Truth and in Light.
Come to God through His Word, and be taught by Him.
Ask Him for wisdom and He will respond.
So….if you do take the challenge and want to find out what I meant by worship Him in Truth and Light, start by reading the book of John.
You don’t need the King James version of the Bible, a lot of people get caught up on the thee’s and thou’s.
If you looking for a bible online, I like
http://net.bible.org/bible.php They have a neat “push this button and I will read the chapter to you” feature. The dude reading sounds to me a little dramatic but you get use to it.
or
http://bible.cc/ is very nicely laid out.
Go on..... take a chance... :-)
If you want proof of God, ask Jesus for it...
You might say, "I don't believe there is a God or Jesus, why should I ask something of that that isn't there?" and my response is, "Well what does it matter then, if there is no God then nothing will happen, yet if there is one, you will get your proof."
If you are seeking the truth, (you *did* say you didn't believe because you had no proof) I am offering you a way to get proof, all you have to do is *ask*. Yeah, sounds contradictory, but if you *really* are looking for the truth. You will take the challenge.
Christ showed Thomas His wounds so that he would believe, so also will He do the same for you, He will show Himself to you.
1 Corinthians 1:20 says, Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
My friend, do not believe in the rituals of the Catholic church, do not believe in anyone’s *religion*. God is Light and God is Truth, those who worship Him must worship Him in Truth and in Light.
Come to God through His Word, and be taught by Him.
Ask Him for wisdom and He will respond.
So….if you do take the challenge and want to find out what I meant by worship Him in Truth and Light, start by reading the book of John.
You don’t need the King James version of the Bible, a lot of people get caught up on the thee’s and thou’s.
If you looking for a bible online, I like
http://net.bible.org/bible.php They have a neat “push this button and I will read the chapter to you” feature. The dude reading sounds to me a little dramatic but you get use to it.
or
http://bible.cc/ is very nicely laid out.
Go on..... take a chance... :-)
Hurricane Katrina, a snapshot of things to come...
I was reading in Daniel about the four beasts, how these are a representation of what is to be. This was brought to my attention; that the Lord gives us visions of things to come although we see them as the workings of man or nature.
A thought came that Hurricane Katrina is a snapshot of things to come; the governmental inaction, the starving, the people dying without anyone to help them, no “Egypt” came to their assistance, people in the football stadium were subject to the worst kinds of sins, rape, theft, murder, assault, and hopelessness yet were not allowed to leave.
So I believe it will be again.
This hurricane was a snapshot of the future I believe God has given to us, the president’s inaction, the chaos of communication, the lack of coordination, the confusion… all snapshots of things to come.
Don’t call to Egypt for help, which is of this world. Call to the One who created the earth and the sky and all creation.
Deu 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days..."
Jesus said in John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
A thought came that Hurricane Katrina is a snapshot of things to come; the governmental inaction, the starving, the people dying without anyone to help them, no “Egypt” came to their assistance, people in the football stadium were subject to the worst kinds of sins, rape, theft, murder, assault, and hopelessness yet were not allowed to leave.
So I believe it will be again.
This hurricane was a snapshot of the future I believe God has given to us, the president’s inaction, the chaos of communication, the lack of coordination, the confusion… all snapshots of things to come.
Don’t call to Egypt for help, which is of this world. Call to the One who created the earth and the sky and all creation.
Deu 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days..."
Jesus said in John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Weekly Dose by R.S. Neaville 07/27/2007
The Weekly Dose by R.S. Neaville
I am so tired of men's opinions and organizational doctrines that are opinion based yet taught as fact. I am wearied with all those who think that a seminary or college education is the basis for choosing a Pastor. Education has its place but it is no substitute for Revelation of Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul for a moment:
Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And As Peter so eloquently put it:
1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
We need a lot more ministers who speak with authority and by the power of the Spirit and less who speak from carnal thinking and men's shared opinions. Remember this. God's word has never been a matter of men's opinion. Unless we as ministers can speak as those God sent (as his oracles) maybe we shouldn't speak at all.
Be sure to listen to new mp3 on the
Last Days House! Posted today.
R.S. Neaville 07/27/2007
I am so tired of men's opinions and organizational doctrines that are opinion based yet taught as fact. I am wearied with all those who think that a seminary or college education is the basis for choosing a Pastor. Education has its place but it is no substitute for Revelation of Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul for a moment:
Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And As Peter so eloquently put it:
1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
We need a lot more ministers who speak with authority and by the power of the Spirit and less who speak from carnal thinking and men's shared opinions. Remember this. God's word has never been a matter of men's opinion. Unless we as ministers can speak as those God sent (as his oracles) maybe we shouldn't speak at all.
Be sure to listen to new mp3 on the
Last Days House! Posted today.
R.S. Neaville 07/27/2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
“Who Are You to Judge Others?”
“Who Are You to Judge Others?” - In Defense of Making Moral Judgments
Nice article on the subject and the whole Ravi Zacharias ministry is most excellent.
The "Judge not..." passage has been used by alot of people to divert attention away from their sin. I know that this isn't what Christ meant but I couldn't put it together, but now I think I understand.
Part of my understanding is below in these passages from Paul but read the article also for the whole story.
Romans 11
17 "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either."
Be humble, don't be "holier than thou"; it is Christ who did it all.
Nice article on the subject and the whole Ravi Zacharias ministry is most excellent.
The "Judge not..." passage has been used by alot of people to divert attention away from their sin. I know that this isn't what Christ meant but I couldn't put it together, but now I think I understand.
Part of my understanding is below in these passages from Paul but read the article also for the whole story.
Romans 11
17 "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either."
Be humble, don't be "holier than thou"; it is Christ who did it all.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - The name doesn't make the man
It stuck me that a name can tell you alot and I wondered what was the meaning of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the current President of Iran.
His original name turns out to be Mahmoud Saborjhian.
Mahmoud meaning praised, praiseworthy, or glorified and Saborjhian derives from thread painter (when carpet threads were hand painted, I guess.)
Then he changed it to: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
Mahmoud meaning praised, praiseworthy, or glorified and Ahmadinejad (really two words Ahmadi Nejad) meaning descendant of and highly praised. So in Farsi it reads: "The Praised Descendant of the Most Highly Praised."
.
.
.
...well.... isn't that special....
You can read the whole story from the two links below.
I went searching and found this: The meaning behind Ahmadinejad's name
And what his name was before he changed it was originally Mahmoud Saborjhian:
Grund comment: alas the above links are gone, went to the www.waybackmachine.com but was only able to grab one of the articles: posted here until someone complains...
A Humble Beginning Helped to Form Iran's New Hard Man
Ahmadinejad has tasted the poverty he wants to eradicate.
The early childhood home of young Mahmoud Saborjhian sits derelict and uninhabitable; the garden in which he once toddled is overgrown with weeds and used for roosting chickens. The well where his parents used to store the drinking water they collected from local channels is dry, long-since rendered obsolete by the economic progress that delivered running water to a parched region.
It is a scene redolent of Iran's past. But for Iranians, these humble surroundings - in the town of Aradan, about 80 miles south-east of Tehran and directly on the path of the ancient Silk route - have acquired a contemporary significance.
This is where the country's newly elected president, better known as Mahmoud hmadinejad,was born, the fourth of seven children.
The Saborjhian family rented the two-storey house before leaving their impoverished environment in the late 1950s in search of prosperity in Tehran. Mr Ahmadinejad was little more than one year old when they went to the city.
It was a move that coincided with changing the family name, a step taken for a mixture of religious and economic reasons, relatives say.
The name change provides an insight into the devoutly Islamic working-class roots of Mr Ahmadinejad's brand of populist politics.
The name Saborjhian derives from thread painter - sabor in Farsi -a once common and humble occupation in the carpet industry in Semnan province, where Aradan is situated.
Ahmad, by contrast, is a name also used for the prophet Muhammad and means virtuous; nejad means race in Farsi, so Ahmadinejad can mean Muhammad's race or virtuous race.
"Moving from a village to big cities was so common and widespread at that time that perhaps people, not wanting to show their roots, would change their names," said Mehdi Shahhosseini, 31, son of one of Mr Ahmadinejad's cousins, still living in Aradan.
"Some people were more religious and chose names to reflect that.
" If the concealment of the family's origins has diminished local pride in Mr Ahmadinejad, it does not show. This week, residents of Aradan - a town of 7,000 people sitting in the shadow of the Alborz mountains - had a a street festival to celebrate his landslide victory in last week's presidential election. It was an occasion born of surprise as much as joy.
"We never expected him to be president," Mr Shahhosseini said. "We could see he was mproving and making progress but we thought he would stay in his area of expertise [the Islamist mayor of Tehran has a PhD in traffic management and engineering]."
About 98% of local voters are believed to have backed Mr Ahmadinejad in the run-off contest against Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president.
Mr Ahmadinejad, 49 - who will takeoffice next month - still makes visits his birthplace to pay respect to the memory of a late uncle buried in the local cemetery. He keeps in close contact with cousins, who visit him in Tehran.
Relatives say his professed concern for the poor and Iran's growing wealth gap stems from his familiarity with the local area, which has a fragile economy based on sheep and cattle farming.
"He has tasted poverty himself. He and his family have had a lot of problems," said Mehran Mohseni, 32, the son of another cousin. "The family was not poor but they were living very simple lives. He had to struggle to get his BSc and his PhD. His life is not luxurious at all. There are no sofas in his house in Tehran, only cushions and rugs."
The president-elect's solidarity with the worse off is also believed to have been influenced by his father, Ahmad, who became a blacksmith in Tehran after running a grocery store and then a barber's shop in Aradan.
Mr Ahmadinejad, it is said, refuses to eat at the table of any host who does not pay zakat, the portion of their annual income which Muslims are required to give to the poor.
Relatives talk approvingly of how Mr Ahmadinejad's father, who now works in a revolutionary guards' shop, sold his Tehran house for £37,000 and bought a smaller home for half the price, giving the proceeds to a poor people's charity.
Talking with adulation bordering on reverence, relatives try to depict the president-elect - contrary to his image as a dour Islamist - as a man of sharp humour. His favourite pastimes, they say, are football and mountaineering, a recreation favoured by Iran's rugged terrain.
But hand in hand with the attempts at smoothing the hard edges go expressions of pride in his revolutionary credentials. That background is now under fierce scrutiny from the Bush administration after several former US diplomats held captive in the 1979-81 Tehran embassy takeover alleged that Mr Ahmadinejad was a ringleader. Aides to Mr Ahmadinejad, as well as other hostage-takers, deny the charges.
Nevertheless, it is clear from family accounts that he was a committed activist. Before the 1979 revolution he visited Lebanon during the country's civil war and is said to have been active with Shia groups there.
During the reign of the last shah, he kept a printing press at home, which he used to print leaflets denouncing the monarch. On the eve of the revolution his activities forced the entire Ahmadinejad family to flee Tehran and go into hiding in the north-eastern province of Golestan to avoid arrest by the savak, the shah's secret police.
Mr Ahmadinejad's strong religious beliefs surfaced early. "He had an interest in and talent for the Qur'an as a very small child," said a cousin, Maasoumeh Saborjhian, 60, to whom he remains close."
He liked to go to classes but they threw him out because he was too young. He was only 10 or 11. But he would insist, saying, no, no, I know how to read the Qur'an."
His mother, addressed by friends and relatives as Seiyed Khanom (literally, Madam Descendent of the Prophet),dresses in an all-embracing black chador and insists on the rigid separation of the sexes. "She is very religious," Mrs Saborjhian said. "She will never sit beside a man who is not a close relative. If she is hosting any ceremonies, she separates men and women with a curtain."
It is an aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's background that will ring alarm bells for Iran's mostly affluent secular population. This is the group who supported the modest social liberalisation that unfolded during the reformist presidency of Mohammed Khatami, now about to leave office. They fear a return to the early days of the revolution, which Mr Ahmadinejad admires, when Islamist dresscodes were stringently enforced and mingling of the sexes strictly forbidden.
The president-elect's aides say that is not his intention. It certainly would not meet with the approval of some of his relatives.
"Poverty is the real problem," said Mr Mohseni, the son of Mrs Saborjhian, and Mr Ahmadinejad's campaign manager in Aradan.
"I don't think he will stop freedom. During Khatami's period, liberalisation was OK. It was good."
© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 7/1/2005
His original name turns out to be Mahmoud Saborjhian.
Mahmoud meaning praised, praiseworthy, or glorified and Saborjhian derives from thread painter (when carpet threads were hand painted, I guess.)
Then he changed it to: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
Mahmoud meaning praised, praiseworthy, or glorified and Ahmadinejad (really two words Ahmadi Nejad) meaning descendant of and highly praised. So in Farsi it reads: "The Praised Descendant of the Most Highly Praised."
.
.
.
...well.... isn't that special....
You can read the whole story from the two links below.
I went searching and found this: The meaning behind Ahmadinejad's name
And what his name was before he changed it was originally Mahmoud Saborjhian:
Grund comment: alas the above links are gone, went to the www.waybackmachine.com but was only able to grab one of the articles: posted here until someone complains...
A Humble Beginning Helped to Form Iran's New Hard Man
Ahmadinejad has tasted the poverty he wants to eradicate.
The early childhood home of young Mahmoud Saborjhian sits derelict and uninhabitable; the garden in which he once toddled is overgrown with weeds and used for roosting chickens. The well where his parents used to store the drinking water they collected from local channels is dry, long-since rendered obsolete by the economic progress that delivered running water to a parched region.
It is a scene redolent of Iran's past. But for Iranians, these humble surroundings - in the town of Aradan, about 80 miles south-east of Tehran and directly on the path of the ancient Silk route - have acquired a contemporary significance.
This is where the country's newly elected president, better known as Mahmoud hmadinejad,was born, the fourth of seven children.
The Saborjhian family rented the two-storey house before leaving their impoverished environment in the late 1950s in search of prosperity in Tehran. Mr Ahmadinejad was little more than one year old when they went to the city.
It was a move that coincided with changing the family name, a step taken for a mixture of religious and economic reasons, relatives say.
The name change provides an insight into the devoutly Islamic working-class roots of Mr Ahmadinejad's brand of populist politics.
The name Saborjhian derives from thread painter - sabor in Farsi -a once common and humble occupation in the carpet industry in Semnan province, where Aradan is situated.
Ahmad, by contrast, is a name also used for the prophet Muhammad and means virtuous; nejad means race in Farsi, so Ahmadinejad can mean Muhammad's race or virtuous race.
"Moving from a village to big cities was so common and widespread at that time that perhaps people, not wanting to show their roots, would change their names," said Mehdi Shahhosseini, 31, son of one of Mr Ahmadinejad's cousins, still living in Aradan.
"Some people were more religious and chose names to reflect that.
" If the concealment of the family's origins has diminished local pride in Mr Ahmadinejad, it does not show. This week, residents of Aradan - a town of 7,000 people sitting in the shadow of the Alborz mountains - had a a street festival to celebrate his landslide victory in last week's presidential election. It was an occasion born of surprise as much as joy.
"We never expected him to be president," Mr Shahhosseini said. "We could see he was mproving and making progress but we thought he would stay in his area of expertise [the Islamist mayor of Tehran has a PhD in traffic management and engineering]."
About 98% of local voters are believed to have backed Mr Ahmadinejad in the run-off contest against Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president.
Mr Ahmadinejad, 49 - who will takeoffice next month - still makes visits his birthplace to pay respect to the memory of a late uncle buried in the local cemetery. He keeps in close contact with cousins, who visit him in Tehran.
Relatives say his professed concern for the poor and Iran's growing wealth gap stems from his familiarity with the local area, which has a fragile economy based on sheep and cattle farming.
"He has tasted poverty himself. He and his family have had a lot of problems," said Mehran Mohseni, 32, the son of another cousin. "The family was not poor but they were living very simple lives. He had to struggle to get his BSc and his PhD. His life is not luxurious at all. There are no sofas in his house in Tehran, only cushions and rugs."
The president-elect's solidarity with the worse off is also believed to have been influenced by his father, Ahmad, who became a blacksmith in Tehran after running a grocery store and then a barber's shop in Aradan.
Mr Ahmadinejad, it is said, refuses to eat at the table of any host who does not pay zakat, the portion of their annual income which Muslims are required to give to the poor.
Relatives talk approvingly of how Mr Ahmadinejad's father, who now works in a revolutionary guards' shop, sold his Tehran house for £37,000 and bought a smaller home for half the price, giving the proceeds to a poor people's charity.
Talking with adulation bordering on reverence, relatives try to depict the president-elect - contrary to his image as a dour Islamist - as a man of sharp humour. His favourite pastimes, they say, are football and mountaineering, a recreation favoured by Iran's rugged terrain.
But hand in hand with the attempts at smoothing the hard edges go expressions of pride in his revolutionary credentials. That background is now under fierce scrutiny from the Bush administration after several former US diplomats held captive in the 1979-81 Tehran embassy takeover alleged that Mr Ahmadinejad was a ringleader. Aides to Mr Ahmadinejad, as well as other hostage-takers, deny the charges.
Nevertheless, it is clear from family accounts that he was a committed activist. Before the 1979 revolution he visited Lebanon during the country's civil war and is said to have been active with Shia groups there.
During the reign of the last shah, he kept a printing press at home, which he used to print leaflets denouncing the monarch. On the eve of the revolution his activities forced the entire Ahmadinejad family to flee Tehran and go into hiding in the north-eastern province of Golestan to avoid arrest by the savak, the shah's secret police.
Mr Ahmadinejad's strong religious beliefs surfaced early. "He had an interest in and talent for the Qur'an as a very small child," said a cousin, Maasoumeh Saborjhian, 60, to whom he remains close."
He liked to go to classes but they threw him out because he was too young. He was only 10 or 11. But he would insist, saying, no, no, I know how to read the Qur'an."
His mother, addressed by friends and relatives as Seiyed Khanom (literally, Madam Descendent of the Prophet),dresses in an all-embracing black chador and insists on the rigid separation of the sexes. "She is very religious," Mrs Saborjhian said. "She will never sit beside a man who is not a close relative. If she is hosting any ceremonies, she separates men and women with a curtain."
It is an aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's background that will ring alarm bells for Iran's mostly affluent secular population. This is the group who supported the modest social liberalisation that unfolded during the reformist presidency of Mohammed Khatami, now about to leave office. They fear a return to the early days of the revolution, which Mr Ahmadinejad admires, when Islamist dresscodes were stringently enforced and mingling of the sexes strictly forbidden.
The president-elect's aides say that is not his intention. It certainly would not meet with the approval of some of his relatives.
"Poverty is the real problem," said Mr Mohseni, the son of Mrs Saborjhian, and Mr Ahmadinejad's campaign manager in Aradan.
"I don't think he will stop freedom. During Khatami's period, liberalisation was OK. It was good."
© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 7/1/2005
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
People say the funniest things...
Was watching a show on blogging, a documentary, one of the dudes be interviewed said, "We're not anarchists, we're Democrats.".... lol
Monday, July 23, 2007
Hebrew for Christians
I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the family at Hebrew4Christians.com. I don't know them in the physical but the Lord said,
"Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Mr Parsons, when you show me how a passage reads in Hebrew, how much deeper it is... my heart just soars.
Glory to God and thank you very, very much for the work you do.
About Hebrew for Christians
"Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Mr Parsons, when you show me how a passage reads in Hebrew, how much deeper it is... my heart just soars.
Glory to God and thank you very, very much for the work you do.
About Hebrew for Christians
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood"
It has been brought to my attention, that my slant on the followers of muhammad is leaning to far to the physical.
My Lord's Word says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens."
I have added some links under the Answering Islam section. Testimonies of the overcomers who had lost their way but now have found the way, those who have come from falsehood to truth, those who have come from darkness to light.
My Lord said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
I've added some links to sites that provide bibles in the Arabic language and other things also, I hope they are some help.
My Lord's Word says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens."
I have added some links under the Answering Islam section. Testimonies of the overcomers who had lost their way but now have found the way, those who have come from falsehood to truth, those who have come from darkness to light.
My Lord said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
I've added some links to sites that provide bibles in the Arabic language and other things also, I hope they are some help.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
About time...Teen Girls Are Moving From Trashy to Classy
When It Comes to Fashion, Teen Girls Are Moving From Trashy to Classy
Some people call the trashy/skimpy clothes young girls are wearing as "low self esteem ware". I think perhaps they aren't too far off the mark with that label.
I've told my daughters that clothes are to frame your face, if they frame anything else then your promoting your body above you as a person.
Some people call the trashy/skimpy clothes young girls are wearing as "low self esteem ware". I think perhaps they aren't too far off the mark with that label.
I've told my daughters that clothes are to frame your face, if they frame anything else then your promoting your body above you as a person.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
New Cool Link - Education Podcast Network
Education Podcast Network
The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sites I Visit...The American Colonist's Library
The American Colonist's Library
A TREASURY OF PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
Primary Source Documents Pertaining to Early American History An invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of American politics, culture, and ideals.
A TREASURY OF PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
Primary Source Documents Pertaining to Early American History An invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of American politics, culture, and ideals.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Thinking about music
Was just looking at my music I've found on the 'net on the left there. And you might think, hmmm pretty narrow, but I have come to find that I like Christian rap every now and then.
yep.
I like Christian rap (not all of it...) but haven't found any free that I can post. My daughter laughs at me but hey, i ams what i ams.
But if an artist isn't truth to the Word or starts on lyrics that aren't true, then they are gone. That includes any artist.
I have the complete works of Blind Willie Johnson, I would have liked to meet him....
yep.
I like Christian rap (not all of it...) but haven't found any free that I can post. My daughter laughs at me but hey, i ams what i ams.
But if an artist isn't truth to the Word or starts on lyrics that aren't true, then they are gone. That includes any artist.
I have the complete works of Blind Willie Johnson, I would have liked to meet him....
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Where I Stand.
"Trust in the LORD with all you heart and lean not into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
I was talking with some friends, they were sharing miracles in their lives. They were dramatic things. I could share a few very minor things but didn't have the testimony they did. This bothered me.
I remembered the scripture, "...blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe" and was comforted in that but being the child I am, it seems, that wasn't enough. It kept bothering me.
Glory to God. He brought to my memory my life, how...., unnormal it was, quite traumatic actually....
Then a light shone on me that my whole life was a miracle, unseen by me, God's mighty right hand on my shoulder, guiding me, keeping me safe. He will do as He says. He will make me holy as He is holy.
Glory to God
I was talking with some friends, they were sharing miracles in their lives. They were dramatic things. I could share a few very minor things but didn't have the testimony they did. This bothered me.
I remembered the scripture, "...blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe" and was comforted in that but being the child I am, it seems, that wasn't enough. It kept bothering me.
Glory to God. He brought to my memory my life, how...., unnormal it was, quite traumatic actually....
Then a light shone on me that my whole life was a miracle, unseen by me, God's mighty right hand on my shoulder, guiding me, keeping me safe. He will do as He says. He will make me holy as He is holy.
Glory to God
Sites I visit...
http://propheticjournal.net/
You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?
If you can find anything scripturally wrong with Steve's teaching, let me know.
Re: a comment from Thad about Prophetic Journal. Mr Neaville was asked who taught him and he replied "the Holy Spirit" and Mr Neaville believes everyones teaching/learning will come from the Holy Spirit if you would just ask and then look.
You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?
If you can find anything scripturally wrong with Steve's teaching, let me know.
Re: a comment from Thad about Prophetic Journal. Mr Neaville was asked who taught him and he replied "the Holy Spirit" and Mr Neaville believes everyones teaching/learning will come from the Holy Spirit if you would just ask and then look.
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