Thread: God's Minute

Look guys, stop trying to "crucify" davej . You all seem to forget R/S is moderated now, just as the other sections are on DV. I mean it.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Dave, why do you ignore my issue? You seem like you want to preach, so why not help me out with what I am wondering? I am bringing up an honest issue, and if you have a good answer, it could clear up a whole lot for me. Ignoring it is not very polite or helpful of you.

For a very simple reason... I am not going to fall into your little trap. whatever I answer you will find some way to debate it or say some kind of disrespecting remark and I am not even going there so save your energy.

And besides, when you have everything you want, you need for nothing and you have all the love in the world from God, a wife, family and friends, what's the point of being a billionaire. I would rather be who I am right now then a billionaire. Even though i am understanding what you mean, you have got to see where I am comeing from as well. So imagining I am a billionaire does nothing for me lol

They say the born again phase lasts about 5 years...Then you go back to being the asshole you were before.

Originally Posted by PhilosopherStoned

I wanna see it. If the christians want to brainwash each other, they can do it through PM.

Look at the section you are in... Religion and Spirituality lol

Originally Posted by davej

For a very simple reason... I am not going to fall into your little trap. whatever I answer you will find some way to debate it or say some kind of disrespecting remark and I am not even going there so save your energy.

Trap? No, I genuinely wanted to know how you explain what I discussed. The only people who have ever even responded to the issue from your perspective have been trolls acting silly. I gave you a chance to be the first to explain things for real. It is unfortunate that you refuse to discuss the topics you yourself bring up. I think I have been pretty respectful to you aside from my comments about your evasiveness, but you have been pretty damn rude.

Originally Posted by Fableflame

UM, do you think maybe you could take it up with him in PM?

It does seem kind of rude, Dave posted this thread with the intention of discussing scripture with fellow christians. Not for people to challenge him.

This is a discussion forum, not a magazine.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

This is a discussion forum, not a magazine.

True.
But on a discussion forum, you are supposed to discuss the topic which the thread is about. This thread happens to be about scripture, not about why Dave thinks that belief is a choice.

Originally Posted by Fableflame

True.
But on a discussion forum, you are supposed to discuss the topic which the thread is about. This thread happens to be about scripture, not about why Dave thinks that belief is a choice.

Dave talked about how belief is a choice in this thread and lots and lots of other threads. Yet, he refuses to discuss it further than his own initial assertions. I don't plan to ask him any more because obviously he refuses to answer questions from people who don't agree with him, but I was not at all out of line for asking him about his claim.

Originally Posted by davej

And besides, when you have everything you want, you need for nothing and you have all the love in the world from God, a wife, family and friends, what's the point of being a billionaire. I would rather be who I am right now then a billionaire. Even though i am understanding what you mean, you have got to see where I am comeing from as well. So imagining I am a billionaire does nothing for me lol

If you're saying that you can't choose belief, do you then admit we non-blievers have been predetermined to burn by whoever made our brains incapable of believing such things (in this case religions)?

Never said you didn't have a choice. You have a choice just like you chose to obey the law or you choose to obey your parents etc... Anyhow, if you do not believe then why are you worried about it anyhow. With your thinking, nothing is going to happen to you anyway right?

See this is what I don't understand, if you do not believe and have no desire in learning or believing then why bother? I am not debating anyone on any of this. I am simply doing this to up lift and encourage others.

The only reason i can even see you comeing into a thread like this, entitled God's Minute, even after reading that this was a place for devotional, not debate, why even bother to post in this thread except to ruffle feathers...

Originally Posted by davej

Never said you didn't have a choice. You have a choice just like you chose to obey the law or you choose to obey your parents etc... Anyhow, if you do not believe then why are you worried about it anyhow. With your thinking, nothing is going to happen to you anyway right?

Choosing a meal and choosing to believe that the meal is infested with extra-dimensional aliens are two different things. One I can do (my brain allows it), but choice of belief is something I can't do. Neither can you. Otherwise, when prompted "Believe Muhammad is your prophet" you'd instantly convert to Islam - think about this (if you want).

Originally Posted by davej

See this is what I don't understand, if you do not believe and have no desire in learning or believing then why bother? I am not debating anyone on any of this. I am simply doing this to up lift and encourage others.

The only reason i can even see you comeing into a thread like this, entitled God's Minute, even after reading that this was a place for devotional, not debate, why even bother to post in this thread except to ruffle feathers...

Well others were in this thread debating, so I thought my post wouldn't stand out. Personally I view this as informing someone of a fact. I'm not an expert in some x science, but when it comes to questions like this, I just have to state my opinion or inform people of the contradictions and the implications they have. My motivational processes regarding my R/S discussions I something I haven't really researched. It's just that I've learned to debate on just about anything to acquire more information.

Well others were in this thread debating, so I thought my post wouldn't stand out. Personally I view this as informing someone of a fact. I'm not an expert in some x science, but when it comes to questions like this, I just have to state my opinion or inform people of the contradictions and the implications they have. My motivational processes regarding my R/S discussions I something I haven't really researched. It's just that I've learned to debate on just about anything to acquire more information.

not specifically you Bonsay but everyone in general.

This question is to all those who do not believe but still decide to come in here... WHY??? I set this up for devotionals, not debate, not to try and prove contradictions, not to argue, etc... simply so those who believe in God and others who may be inspired by scripture could come here and enjoy it without all this debate and arguing. I also made it as i stated before that anyone else of any other religion could post scripture as well but some of you couldn't leave well enough alone. There are hundreds of threads that are debating all sorts of things in R/S... You actually need one more.... Now someone please tell me why you feel you had to come in here and try and mess things up because obviously that is what you are trying to do. Can't respect one simple thread... that show real maturity...

Then David put his hand in his bag and
took out a stone; and he slung it and
struck the Philistine in his forehead, so
that the stone sank into his forehead,
and he fell on his face to the earth.
( 1 Samuel 17:49 *NKJV )

We all face something in our lives that seems just like the
giant Goliath did to that young shepherd boy, David. So just
as David, if we put all of our trust in our Heavenly Father, we
will be victorious as well! For God has promised us, Fear not,
for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I
will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
( Isaiah 41:10 )

After all it is written that; He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases
strength ( Isaiah 40:29 ) That is of course when; We walk
by faith, not by sight. ( 2 Corinthians 5:7 )

Therefore, when facing your own "Giant," remember
the story of that young shepherd boy David, and his tremendous
faith in our Heavenly Father! After all it is written; For assuredly,
I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to
there,' and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you. ( Matthew 17:20 )


Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and
in the power of His might. ( Ephesians 6:10 ) For you
are His Child and He will always Love and Care for you as well.

Thought I would add an extra one. My father in law are leaving tomorrow to go on a fishing trip and I may not have time to get on tonight. Hope everyone has a blessed day!

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him ...
Colossians 2:6
Over and over the Scriptures tell us to walk:

To walk in light (Ephesians 5:8),
To walk in love (Ephesians 5:2),
To walk in wisdom (Colossians 4:5).

And here we are told to walk in simplicity. The Christain life is not a run, not a leap, but a walk. To grow in Christ, to advance in our faith, to claim new ground for the Kingdom, we gotta keep walking.

The banks of a certain river in Arizona called the Rio Rivera are lined with a substance called ‘near quicksand’. It’s almost quicksand — but not quite. If you keep walking on this near-quicksand, you won’t have a problem. But if you stop, you’ll start sinking and get sucked in.

So too, the Christian experience is a walk. If we don’t keep moving, we’ll start sinking. And the way to keep moving is not to seek some deeper truth. The way to keep moving is to walk in simplicity. We received Christ simply, totally, completely by faith. And that’s the way we are to walk.

Dave, asking a question is not synonymous with debating. To answer your question about "why", it's because even atheists want to understand theism more and more. Religious topics are interesting, and there is a great deal to know. Carry on.

Thanks Fable and Jeff (and anyone else I may have missed).

Does it matter who answered your question about prayer, UM? I thought I gave a rather nice reply


My apologies to copyright laws... I can't paraphrase today's text.

"This is not the wisdom that comes from above, but is the earthly, animal, demonic.- Jas. 3:15

The disciple James called the attitudes of jealousy and contentiousness "earthly" because they are fleshly, devoid of spirituality. They are "animal" in that they are the product of fleshly inclinations, similar to characteristics of unreasoning creatures. Such attitudes are "demonic", for they reflect the disposition of God's spirit enemies.
Each member of the congregation would do well to make a self-examination and work to eliminate such traits.
As teachers in the congregation, overseers should be conscious of the need to rid themselves of negative attitudes. It is not easy to succeed in this because of our imperfection and the influence of this world. However, with a firm grip on the counsel found in the Bible, as well as with the help offered by God's earth-wide congregation, we can move forward.- Ps. 73:23, 24
[w08 3/15 4:15, 16]"

Originally Posted by Zhaylin

Does it matter who answered your question about prayer, UM? I thought I gave a rather nice reply

I didn't ask about prayer, but you always have thoughtful replies.

Ahhh, so sorry. No wonder I suck at debates... I can't keep the arguments straight

" Originally Posted by davej
Idolfan, we have had this discussion before. Yes I believe in Heaven and Hell. What you believe is your choice and if you feel there is no hell then why are you so worried? Christianity is not for just me but for anyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord and savior.

To which UM replied:
Dave, why do you think belief is a choice? Since you keep claiming it is, please do something for a lot of us. Believe for five minutes that you are a billionaire. Truly, sincerely believe it. Then, leave a post about what it was like to believe you were a billionaire. I'm serious. Will you do that? If you do, it will help some of us reconsider the idea of choosing to believe in God. I really want to understand your idea about choosing to believe."

I thought you were basically asking, if God is real, and prayer works, why not ask for a billion dollars.
I guess I should add "reading comprehension" to the list of things I need to improve upon

I think usually when people say "God" and "billionaire" in the same sentence they are praying for extreme wealth.

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." -- Ephesians 3:19

The passage before us is a treasure chest of truth. Paul contrasts the spiritual knowledge of the believer ("to know"), with human knowledge ("passeth knowledge"). We are living in a time when a high premium has been placed on intellectualism. Technology is advancing so rapidly that a product is barely to the marketplace before it is obsolete. Human knowledge has progressed to the point where man has now created small micro chips, the size of a pencil eraser, that can store volumes of information. While man glories in his accomplishments in the area of high tech, God is still the infinite One in knowledge overall. I read recently that if man were to build a computer capable of performing the functions of the human brain (memory, reasoning, thinking, functional control, etc.) it would have to be the size of the Empire State Building. How would you like to carry that around on your shoulders? While human knowledge has benefited us all in areas of medicine, science, and travel, man through human wisdom can never know God nor understand the things of God (I Cor. 1:20,21).

Those who are saved, however, have at their disposal a spiritual knowledge that far surpasses human knowledge. Having the eyes of our spiritual understanding opened, we are now able to comprehend the Word of God. It is from God's Word that we first learned of the love of Christ. It was Christ's love for us that sent Him to Calvary to die for our sins, to redeem us back to God (Rom. 5:. His love also keeps us secure, for as the Apostle says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom. 8:35). The love of Christ constrains us or motivates us to serve Him. We can never repay what he has done for us, but out of gratitude for what He has accomplished for us we should desire to live for Him (II Cor. 5:14,15). With this knowledge of the love of Christ we can enjoy the fullness of God.

I think usually when people say "God" and "billionaire" in the same sentence they are praying for extreme wealth.

Usually that doesn't work to well HAHAHA

How just are the judgments of God! In Rom. 2:16 St. Paul says: "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Notice carefully what this involves:

1. He will judge "the secrets of men." In human courts there are often miscarriages of justice because all the facts are not brought to light. But at the "Great White Throne" there will be a Judge with "eyes... as a flame of fire" (Rev. 19:12), before whom no secret can remain hidden. (See also Heb. 4:13).

2. He will judge the secrets of men "by Jesus Christ." Not the Father, but the Son will preside at the judgment of the unsaved. John 5:22 declares that "the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" and Verse 27 adds that the Father has given the Son this authority "because He is the Son of man." This insures just judgment, for, men will be judged in that day by the One who loved them enough to become a man that He might understand and help men, and even die for their sins.

3. He will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ "according to my gospel," says Paul. How eminently fair and just this is. If He judged men according to the law of Moses no one ever would be saved, for all of us have broken the Law. Moreover the children of fallen Adam, because of their depraved nature, cannot consistently keep the Law. Thus they will not be judged on the basis of that which they were unable to live up to. This is why He will judge men according to the good news proclaimed by Paul, which is the great truth that salvation is denied to no one who takes God at His Word and approaches Him in His way. His way for today? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

How true UM lol It would deffinately take a miracle of greatest proportions before I ever saw that kind of money

Dave,
I especially liked the first post about technology and God's wisdom. We have a book on Evolution (discusses the pros and cons of the belief and compares it with what the Bible says). I can't remember the exacts but it stated that the brain of man, in a perfect state, could store over a billion books. Grrr... I wish I recalled exactly what it said lol. It might not have been a billion but it was a LOT and it impressed me a great deal.
It's also intriguing how science looks to creation when inventing things (the feet of the gecko, the wings of birds etc).
Such "simple" things are actually so complex that it's hard to duplicate.

Todays Daily Text:
"We are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out.- 2 Cor. 4:8

Again, sorry to copyright laws... there's just too much great info in this one to even try to paraphrase it.

"God's Word, the Bible, helps us to cope with any situation we may face. It is "beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for discipling in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16, 17)
God's Word enables us to deal with life's distresses. It makes us "fully competent" and "completely equipped." The original language word rendered "completely equipped" literally means "having been fitted out." This word could have been used in ancient times of a boat that was fitted out with everything needed for a voyage or of a machine that was capable of performing whatever was expected of it.
Similarly, Jehovah through his his Word provides us with all that we need to handle whatever may come our way.
Accordingly, we can say, "If God permits it, I can take it, with God's help."
[w08 3/15 3:16, 17]"

I love the Scripture in Timothy. I have found it to be true time and time again.
The key, though, is to APPLY what we learn.
Which makes me think of another Scripture:
Hmmm... this isn't the one I was thinking of, but boy does it apply. I opened the Bible to it:
James 4:17 "Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him."

The one I was thinking of is: James 1:22-25
"However, become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is. 25 But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in [it], this [man], because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing [it]."