@littlebitchbuckeye Looking forward to it Mr. Murray. @vanpastorman where are you? we've really got some stuff cookin on the board.
Once upon a time, the eternal being, our Heavenly Father, God, thought of YOU. You might think that you're not very important but think again; God thought of YOU! God thought of you and then he brought you into existence by creating you!Colossians 1:16-1716 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—ALL THINGS were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.You are in this world to develop and to be refined for your future purpose in our Father's Kingdom. And believe me, he has BIG plans for you! Yes, you are VERY important!Luke 12:77 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.1 Corinthians 2:99 But, as it is written,“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”Hopefully you are regularly talking to Father and thanking him for your existence, the people you love in your lives, as well as the opportunities to be tested and refined in preparation for everlasting life in his Kingdom.1 Thessalonians 5:1818 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.Mark 9:4949 For everyone will be salted with fire.Our Father sent the Son, the Christ, our Lord and Savior, Jesus of Nazareth to guide, teach, and chasten us and, most importantly, to be the perfect sacrifice (the "lamb") to cover our sins.Hebrews 10:1010 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.In order to obey our Father we must follow and obey Christ Jesus.Luke 9:3535 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”Jesus commands us to:1) Love our Father2) Love each otherMatthew 22:36-40Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”3) Repent (change) from thoughts and behavior (sin) that are offensive to our FatherMatthew 4:1717 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”4) To pick up our cross daily and follow him
- Matthew 16:24
- 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
5) Forgive others just like you hope to be forgivenMark 11:25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”Matthew 6:14-1514 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.Luke 6:2727 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,Luke 6:3737 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;I encourage you to talk to our Father and to demonstrate your gratitude and faithfulness to him by living according to his will, or at least try.After all, if our Father can love and help a detestable, lowlife, degenerate, sinner and recovering alcoholic like me then he'll undoubtedly love and help others.
@snarlcakes start the paperwork for Mr Murray. Thank you.
It was done last week. I spotted him on day one . I have an eye for talent.
So this is going to be a thing then.
I guess it depends.
I came here initially to read fans' thoughts on IU football. I decided to jump into some of the discussions. However, as a follower of Christ I want to share the good news with others and I believe that I would be selfish not to do so.
If people here are receptive to this discussion I am happy to share as well as to learn more about God from others here. I'm just a regular dude that loves to learn and I'm confident that there are some very learned and faithful Christians here that can help me with my understanding.
Nah, I was just pokin' ya. I would love to have more theological discussions here. I love theology. Fire away, I'll try to join in if (and only if) I have something valuable to add.
@goat it’s just really something that little bitch buckeye is attached to these religious posts 🤣
Why do you believe this? Do you see any counter-evidence for this in the world?our Father is a being of love
I hope this is helpful.
It was done last week. I spotted him on day one . I have an eye for talent.
Not me brother. I am only sharing what was graciously shared with me and so I am trying to pay it forward by sharing with our brothers and sisters who might also benefit from hearing it. I am a degenerate derelict and, most especially, a little bitch Buckeye. 😉
Why do you believe this? Do you see any counter-evidence for this in the world?our Father is a being of love
I hope this is helpful.
So the question is this: Is God evil and, if not, why then does God allow suffering?I believe it starts in Genesis. Our Father created Adam (man) and Eve (woman) and put them in a place where there was no suffering and it was, so to speak, Christmas for them every day. How did our brother and sister respond? Lacking appreciation, gratitude, and especially wisdom, they rebelled against our Father!I can only speculate that, without experiencing pain, suffering, and loss, Adam and Eve could not appreciate their idyllic existence nor the enormity of our Father's gift of life and love. And so after they rebelled against our Father he kicked them out of Paradise and told them the following:Genesis 3:16-1716 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.Experiencing pain, suffering, and loss is necessary for us to learn humility, compassion, love, gratitude, and most especially to put our hope, trust, and faith in our Father and to obey and follow him perfectly! Hence, our Father is teaching and refining us through the affliction of hardship. The following verse describes our Father working on Israel but I believe it applies as well to all humanity.Isaiah 48:1010 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.So, no, our Father is not evil. Our Father created us out of love. He disciplines us out of love so that we can become truly great in his Kingdom. All I can say is, thank you Father!
The problem of evil isn't that Adam and Eve were punished. It's that evil persists eternally. I didn't rebel in the garden. Why should I suffer? That's a legitimate question that those proposing the existence of an all-loving God need to answer.
I would love to have more theological discussions here. I love theology.
I too enjoy theological discussion. However, in my experience, many brothers and sisters in Christ become very angry when reading doctrines that don't align with theirs. Such discussions often become ugly and unfruitful. I try to focus on sharing the basics and in a way that can be most edifying.
The problem of evil isn’t that Adam and Eve were punished.
Revelation 3:19
19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
I believe that God chastens us, as described in that verse.
A definition of chasten: