Portrait of an Apparent Loser

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pablocito

Guest
#41
#41
persistent said:
Hey Pablocito, you have probably been at studying scripture for more time than me and possibly lived more in line with the way we should be living and possibly have always been held in greater esteem than me. You refer to a couple of verses but Paul, I believe, states that all scripture is useful. Of course at that time he was probably talking OT and maybe they had some other books of which we are not aware today? I think you need to redo some of the things you write here. I have now done a pre written something which follows if you want read it.
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I read the above 1st paragraph of your post and will the read the rest after I dealt with this first part. You have probably read a 1000 times more of the bible than I have.
My history is that I am not a reader and basically failed most of my English classes. This probably was my major excuse for not studying the bible before 2018.

Now even when I started in 2018 I met a roadblock because I am a very slow reader, I read the bible as though I was tackling a mathematics or computer problem. So I really never read the bible. God somehow did a miracle and moved me around the bible from one place to another confirming many things to me, that really blew my mind.

The problem with the bible is that almost everybody (Christians, or so-called Christians have a piece of it) In some sense they are all right because what they are practicing comes straight out of the bible. For example the Seventh Day Adventist goes back to the Sabbath, which, yes, God would kill the man who broke it. The Pentecostals go to Day of Pentecost and yes that was the most important day of Christianity in the 1st Century. You have the Calvinist who have it right when they pull from Paul's epistles their unique doctrines of predestination, and the list goes on and on to hundreds of different sects.

Now believe it or not truth (or what some people call fact) is really stranger than fiction. God has not given us in these last days any particular path to follow. Each man is on his own. What God has given to us is his complete word the bible with nothing more to add to it and warning that nothing should be taken away from it.

Each man takes what he wants. That is man's way. But God has laid down the ground rules, and if the ground rules are ignored, man will eventually be led into making his own ground rules and thus ending up with what he deems important.

The truth is the for the people of these last days, it is the "word of God" that will either make us or break us. This is the only generation where doctrine is "king", and will determine "heaven" or "hell" for all people, who are called of God.

The Holy Ghost, called the Spirit of Truth is the only guide that can interpret the bible. It is so complex, even if you lived for a gazillion years, no one whether Paul, or David or Peter or anyone else could understand the bible, if they were living today, unless they were guided by the Spirit of truth. (The Spirit of Truth is God's gatekeeper into his Kingdom.)

Ultimately what it means, is that if we know God, then we have his Spirit of truth within us, but really we have to get to know God first because we cannot do it with our own academic devices and listening to the experts (those are the worst people), because God tells those people nothing.

I cannot put into words or even give you a formula for how anyone should approach their bible study, as God is infinite and probably uses a donkey to talk to one of his prophets, Balaam, while he uses the wisest man, Solomon to guide others into the right paths, and even uses Paul a so-called intellectual to lead the gentiles into his salvation.

The only thing I know for sure is that when you are receiving truth from the Holy Spirit, you will know without a shadow of a doubt, in other words, you will know it better than you know your own blood brother or sister or mother.

I know you have serious problems with faith as you mentioned that there could be some other books that are part of the bible that we do not know about. Without faith God will not give you anything. It means that you cannot recognize God's voice and ultimately are using your own man-made wisdom.

I don't know what else to say, but I can only encourage you to take the bible seriously and believe that God is sovereign and in complete control and that Satan is is no god and cannot thwart God in any way or fashion.

I will read the rest of your post by tomorrow.
 
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pablocito

Guest
#42
#42
persistent said:
I am old school and so as Rose Ann Rosanna Danna would say, 'It's always somethin'' It is nice to see in these comments that there is a true search for veracity. I had been solely relying on tv and internet preachers and reading commentaries via Bible Hub for approximately 4 years in trying to determine what God is telling us in His 'Word' and somehow I was directed to this chat site some time in August.
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I just scanned the rest of your post, and since I have assessed or really been totally confused about what you are trying to say, I thought I would just answer now rather than wait for tomorrow.

Again, I did not understand a single word that you were trying to say to me.

God is not the author of confusion and I am not sure what language you are using, whether it was Greek or Hebrew, but I was totally confused.

God is not the author of confusion, Paul made comments to that effect. And you were right when you mentioned the other day that even a little child was more prone to enter the kingdom of heaven than some of the older people.

Thus it appears that you are now saying that little children will be shut out the kingdom of God, because I do not think I could find one English child, who could master the Hebrew or Greek language. (maybe Spanish or French but not Greek or Hebrew)

Would you be willing to tell some 5 year old kid to go and study Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic if they want to enter the kingdom of God. (I hope not). God promised utter devastation to those who would lead a little one in the wrong direction.

Now back to the topic. God knows the end at the same time he knows the beginning. Thus God who created all languages, knew the English language even before the earth was created.

Even if you cannot believe that elementary thing about God, then you will not believe the Book of Revelation which was written 2000 years ago. The book of Revelation gives details of the exact play by play end of the world.
That is why we say that God is omniscient. But not only omnipotent but omnipresent and omnipotent. I believe that the most important aspect of God is that he is Sovereign, because nothing happens without he ordaining it.

In other words Satan is doing the will of God in one sense and he cannot go outside of it. Just to explain, Satan attacked Job with God's permission but God told him he could not kill him. I hope you understand God a little better now. If you remember I told you that truth is stranger than fiction.

God is not a man and his ways are past finding out. Well, that is to the unbeliever or those who do not know him.
 
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persistent

Guest
#43
#43
pablocito said:
I read the above 1st paragraph of your post and will the read the rest after I dealt with this first part. You have probably read a 1000 times more of the bible than I have.
My history is that I am not a reader and basically failed most of my English classes. This probably was my major excuse for not studying the bible before 2018.

Now even when I started in 2018 I met a roadblock because I am a very slow reader, I read the bible as though I was tackling a mathematics or computer problem. So I really never read the bible. God somehow did a miracle and moved me around the bible from one place to another confirming many things to me, that really blew my mind.

The problem with the bible is that almost everybody (Christians, or so-called Christians have a piece of it) In some sense they are all right because what they are practicing comes straight out of the bible. For example the Seventh Day Adventist goes back to the Sabbath, which, yes, God would kill the man who broke it. The Pentecostals go to Day of Pentecost and yes that was the most important day of Christianity in the 1st Century. You have the Calvinist who have it right when they pull from Paul's epistles their unique doctrines of predestination, and the list goes on and on to hundreds of different sects.

Now believe it or not truth (or what some people call fact) is really stranger than fiction. God has not given us in these last days any particular path to follow. Each man is on his own. What God has given to us is his complete word the bible with nothing more to add to it and warning that nothing should be taken away from it.

Each man takes what he wants. That is man's way. But God has laid down the ground rules, and if the ground rules are ignored, man will eventually be led into making his own ground rules and thus ending up with what he deems important.

The truth is the for the people of these last days, it is the "word of God" that will either make us or break us. This is the only generation where doctrine is "king", and will determine "heaven" or "hell" for all people, who are called of God.

The Holy Ghost, called the Spirit of Truth is the only guide that can interpret the bible. It is so complex, even if you lived for a gazillion years, no one whether Paul, or David or Peter or anyone else could understand the bible, if they were living today, unless they were guided by the Spirit of truth. (The Spirit of Truth is God's gatekeeper into his Kingdom.)

Ultimately what it means, is that if we know God, then we have his Spirit of truth within us, but really we have to get to know God first because we cannot do it with our own academic devices and listening to the experts (those are the worst people), because God tells those people nothing.

I cannot put into words or even give you a formula for how anyone should approach their bible study, as God is infinite and probably uses a donkey to talk to one of his prophets, Balaam, while he uses the wisest man, Solomon to guide others into the right paths, and even uses Paul a so-called intellectual to lead the gentiles into his salvation.

The only thing I know for sure is that when you are receiving truth from the Holy Spirit, you will know without a shadow of a doubt, in other words, you will know it better than you know your own blood brother or sister or mother.

I know you have serious problems with faith as you mentioned that there could be some other books that are part of the bible that we do not know about. Without faith God will not give you anything. It means that you cannot recognize God's voice and ultimately are using your own man-made wisdom.

I don't know what else to say, but I can only encourage you to take the bible seriously and believe that God is sovereign and in complete control and that Satan is is no god and cannot thwart God in any way or fashion.

I will read the rest of your post by tomorrow.
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Pablocito holier than thou gets us nowhere. Psalm 1:1 is my starting point in the Bible. Realize that it, in the absolute can only refer to one man. And that one man is revealed to us starting at Genesis 1:1 on thru to Rev. 22:21. I found that listening to the sermons of Charles Haddon Spurgeon was very helpful. Particularly if you have difficulty reading. As regards teachers there is a place in the Bible where a man from Ethiopia asked Philip to teach him. It seems you have better Bible knowledge than me and we seem to have started reading the Bible around the same time. Here is a verse I just came across today((((( Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!)))))) and recall what you stated yourself in the reply you gave me,(((("The Holy Ghost, called the Spirit of Truth is the only guide that can interpret the bible. It is so complex, even if you lived for a gazillion years, no one whether Paul, or David or Peter or anyone else could understand the bible, if they were living today, unless they were guided by the Spirit of truth. (The Spirit of Truth is God's gatekeeper into his Kingdom."))))) Here is link for recordings of Spurgeon. He is very good at explaining just who it is that has provided us the opportunity to have eternal life.(((((https://www.spurgeongems.org/
 
ebdesroches

ebdesroches

Well-known member
#44
Aug 20, 2022
969
490
63
76
#44
ChristianMystic said:
Mysticism is of the soul, which is more primary and even hidden from our consciousness, because it is the very sum of consciousness itself--like how we cannot see ourselves, except by the mirror of others. Psychic experiences are of the spirit, which can be more easily perceivable by mind and even measurable. The effect of mysticism is more like inspiration, or poetry. This is why those who do not have experiences of the soul cannot easily understand mystical writings. It's like trying to get the news in the newspaper from poetry verse. But the bottom line is love. In love is God all comprehensible. https://librivox.org/the-cloud-of-unknowing-by-anonymous/
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Just started listening to cloud of unknowing. I know i love Him and loves me much much more. I am sure there is more He will very willingly give me. Being patient and not adding my own fleshly self is course at issue. He is more than willing to give, but needs to work the material (me).

Very possible to go into error seeking experiences.

You can memorize and understand the scriptures fully but still not know Him and love Him and experience His powerful love. It seems very clear that the disciples loved Him and He them, especially John. Most of the mystics profess a deep love for God.

It seems that God is definitely involved with causing you to love Him and expressed love to you through His Sprit. The sinlessness (with His help) achieved and a total dedication to follow Him is in our part…He does not do it all. He does not force us. Worshipping Him as much as possible, prayer, and understanding scriptures all have their importance.
 
ebdesroches

ebdesroches

Well-known member
#45
Aug 20, 2022
969
490
63
76
#45
ebdesroches said:
Just started listening to cloud of unknowing. I know i love Him and loves me much much more. I am sure there is more He will very willingly give me. Being patient and not adding my own fleshly self is course at issue. He is more than willing to give, but needs to work the material (me).

Very possible to go into error seeking experiences.

You can memorize and understand the scriptures fully but still not know Him and love Him and experience His powerful love. It seems very clear that the disciples loved Him and He them, especially John. Most of the mystics profess a deep love for God.

It seems that God is definitely involved with causing you to love Him and expressed love to you through His Sprit. The sinlessness (with His help) achieved and a total dedication to follow Him is in our part…He does not do it all. He does not force us. Worshipping Him as much as possible, prayer, and understanding scriptures all have their importance.
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I want to be the disciple Jesus loved (no doubt John loved Jesus).

The good news is that we all can have a close relationship to Him. All it takes is the cooperation of two beings, you and God!

My opinion is He loves His created beings, cant wait to love you and I. He already knows the number of hairs on our heads.
 
ebdesroches

ebdesroches

Well-known member
#46
Aug 20, 2022
969
490
63
76
#46
Oswald Chambers usually has a different but good view:


September 28 Daily Devotional
​
​
The “Go” of Unconditional Identification
Jesus…said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor…and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." MARK 10:21

The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute “go” of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.
“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him…” (Mark 10:21 ). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.
“One thing you lack….” From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.
“…sell whatever you have….” I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. “…come…and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 5-6; Ephesians 1

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation. What God looks at is what we are in the dark—the imaginations of our minds; the thoughts of our heart; the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God’s sight.
from The Love of God—The Ministry of the Unnoticed, 669 L​


My Utmost for His Highest © 1992 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. Original edition © 1935 by Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc. Copyright renewed 1963 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. All rights reserved. United States publication rights are held by Discovery House, which is affiliated with Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.​

Our Daily Bread Ministries | PO Box 2222 | Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2222​
 
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pablocito

Guest
#47
#47
persistent said:
Pablocito holier than thou gets us nowhere. Psalm 1:1 is my starting point in the Bible. Realize that it, in the absolute can only refer to one man.
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I only listen to my own heart and my own conscience, less another man's teaching corrupt me. You keep quoting other great preachers or teachers of the past that are maybe listening to their own hearts too, but apparently you have joined hands with them and are listening to their hearts also instead of your own heart.

It leads me to believe that you do not have an heart to listen to.

One of the great truths of Christianity is that what enters into you from the outside cannot corrupt you. It is what comes out of you that will corrupt you. (Read and meditate on this statement carefully as it turns many people upside down.
Things of God really are incomprehensible to the unbeliever.

The truth on this earth always hurt and trying to prevent hurt will always lead one into lies and deceit.
 
P

pablocito

Guest
#48
#48
ebdesroches said:
Just started listening to cloud of unknowing. I know i love Him and loves me much much more. I am sure there is more He will very willingly give me. Being patient and not adding my own fleshly self is course at issue. He is more than willing to give, but needs to work the material (me).

Very possible to go into error seeking experiences.

You can memorize and understand the scriptures fully but still not know Him and love Him and experience His powerful love. It seems very clear that the disciples loved Him and He them, especially John. Most of the mystics profess a deep love for God.

It seems that God is definitely involved with causing you to love Him and expressed love to you through His Sprit. The sinlessness (with His help) achieved and a total dedication to follow Him is in our part…He does not do it all. He does not force us. Worshipping Him as much as possible, prayer, and understanding scriptures all have their importance.
Click to expand...
The word "Mystic" or it's derivatives is not in the bible, and you are putting yourself in grave danger by entertaining conversations of this type with people who do not believe in God alone.

I have at the beginning of my studying the bible and my zeal for God, tried to save Satan and his hosts (even unknowingly) and afterwards realized that God never sent me to anyone.

The only obligation you have is to love the brethren. We cannot love the things of the world else the love of God will not be in us.
 
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persistent

Guest
#49
#49
pablocito said:
I only listen to my own heart and my own conscience, less another man's teaching corrupt me. You keep quoting other great preachers or teachers of the past that are maybe listening to their own hearts too, but apparently you have joined hands with them and are listening to their hearts also instead of your own heart.

It leads me to believe that you do not have an heart to listen to.

One of the great truths of Christianity is that what enters into you from the outside cannot corrupt you. It is what comes out of you that will corrupt you. (Read and meditate on this statement carefully as it turns many people upside down.
Things of God really are incomprehensible to the unbeliever.

The truth on this earth always hurt and trying to prevent hurt will always lead one into lies and deceit.
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Your prerogative
 
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pablocito

Guest
#50
#50
persistent said:
Your prerogative
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I cannot in good conscience overlook or pass over inconsistencies else I would be a fake, a loser and a also been in this world.

I realize that each man has got to follow his own path, and I am not in competition with you, therefore what I say to you is not personal, but is a result of my living up to my contract with God to be the best servant I can be to Him.

You too must follow your own pathway and that will be the best pathway for you as it will lead you to the perfect outcome of the desires of your own heart.
 
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pablocito

Guest
#51
#51
persistent said:
Your prerogative
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I cannot apologize here because that is the way of mankind. It says you have to be a nice guy and help your fellow man and get along with everyone.

Christ was hated by the Jews without any cause or reason whatsoever for telling them the truth. I can tell you that Spurgeon and most of those preachers who are lifted up by mankind and held in high regard will end up like Herod.

Herod fell down after giving a speech and was eaten up by worms because he had the praise of men rather than the praise of God.

The only reason why men do not fall down today like Herod, or do not fall down dead like Ananias and Sapphira is that those men were filled with the Holy Ghost with power in the first century, but we have been given the Spirit of truth, which is the word of God, and it is that word which will come back to judge us at the judgment of the Great White Throne.

I guess we have nothing else to say, as I sense that you cannot handle the truth.
 
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