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John 12:38-50 “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.'' These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'' Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart, lest they should turn, so that I should heal them.'' These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. “And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.''
Exodus 23:20-22 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
Hi k4c,
Jesus also said
“make sure the light in you is not darkness, for O how deep that darkness can be”John reminded us to test the spirits too.
So we need to make sure that the inspiration we feel we are guided by is from God. The Pharisees were so sure of their inspiration to the degree that they , who were sitting in the seat of Moses, arranged the death of the Messiah. Paul, the Pharisee, was following in their footsteps till he met Jesus.
The safety on the path to make sure the light guiding us is the Spirit of Christ is fear of God and the teaching of the bible.
Prov 1.7
” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;fools despise wisdom and instruction”“Thy words are a lamp to my feet”
Jesus said of the truth
” I am the way the truth and the life”
And in Jn 17
” Sanctify them in truth;Your Word is truth”He said of the work of the Holy Spirit in Jn 16
“But when He, the Holy Spirit , comes, He will guide you into all the truth;FOR HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, BUT WHAT HE HEARS, HE WILL SPEAK; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me. FOR HE WILL TAKE OF MINE AND DISCLOSE IT TO YOU. All things that the Father has are mine;therefore I said that HE TAKES OF MINE and will disclose it to you”So that is why we encourage anyone here who brings teaching they believe is spiritual to show us proof from the bible, because the Holy Spirit is not separate from Christ and the words of Christ prove the Spirit.
Hi,
Trinity denies the truth about the Father and the Son, their relationship of love and absolute cooperation and their unity in the Spirit of God.Hi,
Who can see?
It is more than vision, more than understanding, and includes wisdom.
None can sit comfortably and want no more as we are on a journey of discovery and must walk while the Light is with us.
Wisdom needs to be sought as Solomon did and earned the praise of God..Hi,
Those who see Jesus as man only are spiritually blind and need to buy salve for their eyes [Rev 3.18].Hi,
Jn 3
“3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. “MATTHEW 13:11
“In reply he said: “To YOU it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of the heavens, but to those people it is not granted.”LUKE 8:10
“He said: “To YOU it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of God, but for the rest it is in illustrations, in order that, though looking, they may look in vain and, though hearing, they may not get the meaning.”So it appears that most will not understand the the kingdom of God. Even though they will be looking or listening, it will be in vain. They will not get the meaning.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:4
“among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.”This good news about the Christ (king of the kingdom) includes God's kingdom. Satan has blinded men's minds and men have allowed it.
Hi david,
And only when men are born again from above can they see the kingdom. What do the JW's teach about this essential baptism in the Spirit?Go to JW church thread. I think we're about to discuss it, when Casey comes back or when Oxy decides he wants to.
david
Actually, Nick, I'm curious to know WHAT YOU ACTUALLY THINK about the subject of being born again. You like to ask people if they're born again. I think you used to do it more. To me, it used to seem like if you didnt' know what to say, put down a sentence that have the words “born again” in it.
But I'm wondering what you actually think about being born again. Is there an “experience” that needs to follow it, as Oxy believes? Did you have a born again experience? What is the purpose of being born again? Why do some need to be born again, anyway?
Please don't answer me here, as I dislike having the exact same conversation in two threads at the same time. Go to the JW church thread.
I do wonder what you actually think.david
Hi david,
I was made aware of the work of the Spirit in power in the early 80s through visiting speakers and the catholic charismatic renewal and the bible came alive for me. Like most catholics I had been fed little bits of bible teaching interpreted only as according to that tradition. It had been distant and unable to be grasped till then but I was shown it was the real living truth and started personally to feed on it avidly which continued for 25 years.After some time of asking I was blessed with the anointing baptism of the Spirit.
The impact changed me and showed me I needed to be baptised in water and I did this in about 1986 and led my children to the same commitment. That inner progressive change made me no longer able to stay with the tradition as more and more heresies and false doctrines were brought to light and God led me to freedom so I can serve him and not just men.
Hi david,
This is what I was speaking of. I treasure my gifts especially tongues as it helps me grow.Eph 6
” 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”What of your experience of the Spirit and rebirth?
Hi,
To see the kingdom we must obey God's command to be reborn from above. We need the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God to reach into the deeper things of God. That Spirit is promised to all God 's sons who seek it.Lk 11
” 9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
Hi CB,
You always accuse others of spiritual blindness and deafness.
So what have you learned since coming here?Hi,
Not3 has brought up the subject of boasting.
Boasting of what we know is scriptural evidence of ignorance.
Those that claim to see more are saying they suffer from spiritual blindness.Jn9
39And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.40And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Romans 3:27
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.Ephesians 2:9
Not of works, lest any man should boast.James 4:16
But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
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