[TeamManager]

>>Guess you read the wrong books.
>>Change your reading habits
>
>TM, maybe you don't realise this, but your condescending,
>arrogant, "I'm better than you" and "what you believe in isn't
>correct and only my way is correct" approach is what repels
>many people from Christianity.

Pole, didn't intend (and have never attempted) to be 'arrogant' towards you.
But its good to know that its not acts of darkness that keep you away from being a Christian.
All in all, I stress that Jesus is the ONLY way.

My prayer is that God continues to change my life so that I would be more like Jesus i.e

If Jesus is my Master I will think differently, I will feel differently, I will see differently, I will act differently- I will not condemn people who do not think the same way I think. I will not criticize those who hold different views on political and religious issues. The people around me need me to allow Jesus to be my Master. So, the only thing that remains is for me to allow Jesus to be my total Master.

That is my prayer for me, and for you: May Jesus be our Master.

[thashznit]

I am a spiritual person . You could say I try to be like christ in many ways. I am not one to see one in need and walk away. I always try to help the needy . I am the one everyone seeks out when they need a shoulder to cry/lean on. I am looking into volunteering my time at the hospice . I am a student so u all know that I am trying to make it financially so I cant donate to charity like I would like to. I honestly believe I will get into heaven. I have my weaknesses just like everybody else. I fall into temptation every now and then. nothing major... little white lies and all, gossip, and unpure thoughts :-) I feel let down by our religous leaders today. Every time I go to church I walk out empty and enraged! Its all about money and politics arrrgh. last time I attempted the preacher had the nerve to say {if you are a true christian man I need you to stand up and come to the front and give a hundred dollars} The amount for the women was fifty. what kind of crap is that? since when were we judged by how much we could afford to give as offering . I was so disgusted I walked out.I have tried all denominations.From catholic to baptist. Since the definition of church is ....a congregation of believers and not the building.... I praise god everyday. I dont have a place and time. I pray in the shower, before bed , on the way to jobo it doesnt matter. In the end we will be judged by our works and faith and not by who put in the most time at church !

[dollarmoja]

All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Unless a man be born again,he cannot see\perceive or grasp the Kingdom of God. Your testimonies, brothers and sisters, attest to this. Thashznit......Man`s goodness cannot save him from sin, hell and the grave. Only salvation through Christ can do that. Man tried being good, but he kept going back to sin. So, God had to break us out of sin and usher us into the abundant life he promised. So only those who have confessed that Jesus Chrust is Lord and believed that he rose from the dead, are free from sin, hell and the grave. My brothers and sisters have testified of how Christ has changed there lives. So this thing is real(can be grasped and lived).

Salvation comes first. God will lead you to the right church (i feel you).

[satjas]

Hey dollarmoja

>All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

Not true, not many i know have sinned.....

> Unless
>a man be born again,he cannot see\perceive or grasp the
>Kingdom of God.

so that rules out any new born kids who suddenly die.....not a very fair system is it?

>Your testimonies, brothers and sisters, attest
>to this. Thashznit......Man`s goodness cannot save him from
>sin, hell and the grave. Only salvation through Christ can do
>that. Man tried being good, but he kept going back to sin.

lies lies lies.....what sin? what salvation?

>So,
>God had to break us out of sin and usher us into the abundant
>life he promised.

so first God created a perfect world and then decided to add in a spice of sin and now has shown us some kinda arm twisting formula to abundance.....why go through all that trouble?

>So only those who have confessed that Jesus
>Chrust is Lord and believed that he rose from the dead, are
>free from sin, hell and the grave. My brothers and sisters
>have testified of how Christ has changed there lives. So this
>thing is real(can be grasped and lived).

you have successfully attempted to convince yourself and i'm sure them kids who have never heard of jesus and died at an early age will be partying in hell with the likes of stalin and hitler.....no chance for them kids thanks to the bible!!!

>Salvation comes first. God will lead you to the right church
>(i feel you).

No common sense comes first.......then logic, and then your heart will lead you to God.

-the paradigm shifter......God's friend.

The soul is that which beholds beauty even when the mind denies it.

[ATLian]

>Pole, didn't intend (and have never attempted) to be
>'arrogant' towards you.

TM, it's all good. I don't mind if you tell me that Christ is the only way, because that's what your religion dictates. Every person X who follows religion Y believes that Y is the only true religion. What I call arrogant is when you start critiquing what I read, calling it wrong, irrelevant, etc - when you don't even know what I read. I actually read (or let me say I have read) the bible a lot, which is why I have so much beef with it. The bible is the one book with the most bloodshed ever, esp. the old testament. It really makes me question what sort of god the bible god is.



>That is my prayer for me, and for you: May Jesus be our
>Master.

Since I have oft blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, prayers can't saidia me, I'm doomed. So, asante for the prayers, lakini I don't think I can be helped :-)

[TeamManager]

You will always look for excuses, my friend

Remember when Jesus walk on this earth, he never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. BUT he did meet skeptics he could not convince and sinners he could not convert. Forgiveness of sins requires an act of will on the receiver's part, and some who heard Jesus' strongest words about grace and forgiveness turned away UNREPENTANT. (P. Yancey)

[TeamManager]

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ

Col 2:8(Mes)

[Volina]

>I am a spiritual person . You could say I try to be like
>christ in many ways. I am not one to see one in need and walk
>away. I always try to help the needy . I am the one everyone
>seeks out when they need a shoulder to cry/lean on. I am
>looking into volunteering my time at the hospice . I am a
>student so u all know that I am trying to make it financially
>so I cant donate to charity like I would like to.


Having a relationship is not about works. It is faith with works not works with faith. Even if one did all things, praised God and quote from the bible without having a committment, taking responsibility then works are nothing. I have come to realize that people don't know what Salvation means or have not yet come to an understanding on what Salvation is all about. So this thing about being saved is totally getting sidetracked. I was gonna disect Salvation with one of our friends here, but i'm still busy.

You know, we all saved. We were saved a thousand years ago. Romans confirms this right well. Jesus died and set us free. All we have to do, all everyone has to do, is believe. He says, just believe in me and you will inherit the Kingdom. Your works will not save you, you gotta have faith and then committment to your faith( taking responsibility for your faith) and then works will come automatically, because the love of God will be driving you all the way. You won't even realize you donated to charity or whatever, not even ur right hand will realize that u donated ur money.

I love this three men, in Nebuchadnezzar's time. shadrack, Meshack and Abednego:
Daniel 3:17,18

" If it be so, Our God whom we serve Is ABLE TO DELIVER US from the blurring fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But IF NOT, be it known unto thee, O King, that WE WILL NOT SERVE THY GODS, nor worship the golden images which thou hast set up."

Verse 18 shows their commitment to their faith, " We will stand by what we believe, no matter what"

If you are going to stand for God and receive whatever it is you need from Him, not only must you have strong faith and make a confession of your faith, but you must also be committed to backing up your faith.

This is where most people fail. They understand faith and how to live by faith, and they can quote the word to you. But their commitmetn to their faith is where they're falling down. They're not committed to standing when tey come under fire.

Let's trust God's heart and make a commitment to our faith confessions.

It is all about Jesus.


The world is still beautiful.

[dollarmoja]

Wow........faith dissected that way feels good. Thanks