Open Forum VII: God speaks

Posted on by gcmwatch

Somebody had a good message. I decided I’d make it a better message. All God’s messages are balanced.
godsign

Due to an unexpected engagement, updates will be slim over the next few days. Feel free to share your passions. Normal commenting rules apply.

41 thoughts on “Open Forum VII: God speaks”

  1. Pingback: God Speaks « True Discernment

  4. Amen! John 3:16. God loves us and He know what is best for us. Even in His righteous judgment, God still shows his love by the blood of the Lamb.

    Mr. Foster, I pray that this message will minsters to someone and lead them to the Father .

  9. Ok, why is it that I have heard several preachers speak on the issue of divorce and give only the “authorization” for divorce is adultery? From my understanding, along w/ adultery, if an unbelieving husband/wife wants to leave the believing husband/wife, then that also is an “authorization” for divorce—

    1 Corinthians 7

    10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

    Am I interpreting this right? Please correct me if I am in the wrong on this issue. 🙂

  10. Great Humor. However, I would venture so far as to say that God wouldn’t use gutteral ebonics. 🙂

  11. I think that law is terrible. Churches should reserve the right to discriminate against whomever they want.

  14. James – you’re correct. If the unbelieving spouse wishes to leave the believer, then divorce is allowed.

  15. Rob~
    It is not a case of discrimination, as you claim; it is following and being obedient to the word of God {” Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked” Psalm 97:10 – “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Cor. 6:14 -” Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ” Ephesians 5:11}.
    Why would a homosexual want to be employed by a bible believing church, other than to try and force their ‘agenda’ down the throats of the church? The whole homosexual movement is a well thought out agenda…read ‘After the Ball, How America will conquer it’s fear and hatred of gays in the 90’s’…a book penned by two well educated homosexuals. You can read a brief article concerning this book and it’s agenda here http://www.article8.org/docs/gay_strategies/after_the_ball.htm
    You may very well gain ‘acceptance’ in this world, but when you stand before a Holy God who detests homosexuality, you will find NO tolerance whatsoever.

  16. James,
    Remember – God wanted to “divorce” His people more than once – no? Isaiah and Jeremiah both bring this out in terms of a “marriage” which reflects the coventant God had made and what a “whore” His people were. Yet He …. 🙂

    God hates divorce (period) – but then agian God is more True to the law then any man ever has been. Some folks in Corinth thought being married to an unbeliever was bad – in fact the opposite was true.

    But yes you are correct – if an unbeliever can’t tolerate the Truth – say goodbye; that is the best course to allow happen. God never assured us we could “save” them – and peace in the family is best served by saying goodbye. But let us not forget God placed us in that marriage to serve Him – not ourselves.

    Blessings!

  18. Lyn,

    Here is dictionary.com’s definition of discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.

    In other words, if you ask me for a job and I refuse to hire you simply because you’re a Christian even though you might be fully qualified and an asset to my company, then I’m guilty of discrimination. (But who knows, maybe I just don’t want you trying to force your agenda down the throats of me and my other employees.)

    Now, if you say that something like this is mandated by the Bible, then you must admit that the Bible itself is discriminatory.

    I actually have no idea why any self-respecting gay person would want to work for a church. Based on the friendly reception I’m given by people like yourself, I can’t imagine going to work every day and being told that I’m an evil pervert.

    And Lyn, you’re citing “After the Ball”? Really? That book isn’t even in print anymore, and I haven’t seen one gay blog that relies on it for their “evil agenda.” In fact, I don’t know a single gay person who has read it or even heard of it! It’s ironic that any mention of this book comes from anti-gay people like yourself.

  20. Rob~ Again, you FAIL to understand God’s wisdom concerning wicked, vile sinners who refuse to repent {which is what you are, and all who cling to sin}.
    I suggest you read ‘The Marketing of Evil’ by David Kupelian.
    As for being ‘anti-gay’, first of all, this was part of the agenda to push homosexuality down the throats of America. Change what it is…homosexuality…to something less offensive…gay. It takes the ‘edge’ off the abomination of sodomy. It makes this perversion sound more ‘normal’.

    I am not anti-homosexual, I am one who stands firm in God’s word. The word of God should be upheld as the highest authority by every born again believer; this is why homosexuals, or anyone who knowingly practices sin, would not be allowed to be employed in a bible believing church, apart from REPENTANCE. From Ez. 18:30, ‘”Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.” Hear what the Lord Jesus Himself says in Luke 13:3, ‘but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’ Repent means to turn away from your sins and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. All who refuse to repent will be destroyed, which is what ‘perish’ means in the Greek.
    This is what the word of God calls homosexuality…an ‘abomination’. This is found in Leviticus 18:22. In the Hebrew, abomination means ‘a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable, to be abhorred, be detested’. God detests unrepentant homosexuals who’ve heard the Gospel, yet cleave to their forbidden sexual perversion.

    Is the bible discriminatory? Only in the minds of depraved sinners. God’s word is the standard used to judge lost unrepentant sinners on the day of judgment.
    Again, I must ask, WHY WOULD A PRACTICING HOMOSEXUAL WANT TO BE EMPLOYED BY A BIBLE BELIEVING CHURCH? Only those whose consciences have been seared and whose mind is depraved would even consider such a thing. This is another problem with sinners, they have NO SHAME for what they do. In this case, they deliberately perform perverted lustful sexual acts and do not think they are wrong. Even though the Bible clearly condemns homosexuality…READ THIS VERSE SLOWLY ROB, THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD WHICH WILL STAND FOREVER- “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? DO NOT BE DECEIVED. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, NOR HOMOSEXUALS, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD” 1 Cor. 6:9,10.

    Almighty God, who created ALL things, has laid down His commands from the foundation of the world. Wicked sinners search for ‘loopholes’ or want to accuse God of being ‘discriminatory’ to justify their sin in their own mind. He is the Potter, we are the clay, who are you, or anyone else for that matter, to accuse God of being discriminatory? He, from the beginning, created Adam, then formed Eve from Adam’s rib. Eve was given to Adam as his mate. Had God intended for man to be with man, He would have given Adam a male counterpart. BUT, that is NOT what happened, ‘Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a WOMAN {from the Hebrew ”ishshah ‘-meaning ‘woman, wife, female; woman, opposite of man) and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This [is] now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 3:22-24
    This is the original design per the One who did the designing…the LORD. It is only when sinners such as yourself who rebel by refusing to repent and continue in your sins cry ‘foul’.

  24. Because the insane, incoherent ramblings of religious fanatics like yourself amuse me to no end, Lyn.

  25. So this is insane rambling, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ”
    Or this, “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” 1 Tim. 1:9.10
    Or even this, “”You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Lev. 18:22
    As well as this, “”If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
    Lev. 20: 13
    You think those who proclaim God’s truth are ‘fanatic’, which is a typical reaction when your sin is exposed. Your only resort is to act like a screaming child and lower yourself to name calling.
    I do pray God will bring you down, humble you, and saved your lost, hell bound soul. If that’s ‘fanatical’ in your book, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The worst is yet to come for you, barring the grace of God.
    You are an abomination to God because you refuse to repent of your wickedness, He will dash you to pieces.
    “Why do the nations rage [fn] and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. “You shall break [fn] them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’ Psalm 2
    God says this to all who refuse to listen, ‘”Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, “because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, “when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord , “would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, “therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; “but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” Proverbs 1

  26. Lyn – God bless you!! 🙂

    Rob – it’s all foolishness to those that are perishing.

    The prophecies that Jesus spoke of are all coming true. Our Savior is returning soon. We stand on the solid rock of God’s word, that is intolerant to some, discriminatory if you wish to look at it that way. But it is truth. It’s up to each individual whether to follow Christ or to reject Him, but know that this decision has eternal results.

    What do you prefer Rob? You will stand before Christ someday. Not a good time to say ‘whoops’.

  27. Lyn,

    Actually yes. Copying and pasting Bible verses, demanding to know my “agenda,” and calling me a wicked, vile abomination when all I did was express an opinion that you happen to disagree with all strikes me as insane rambling. I sincerely hope you seek psychological help.

    Christian,

    Uh, which prophecies would those be, exactly? As far as I know, the authors of the New Testament were writing about what they believed was the immediate future (i.e., not the 21st century). For centuries, people like you have been warning that “Christ is returning soon,” and they have all been wrong. Sorry, but your petty threats don’t work on me.

    GCMW: Christ’s return was a promise from his own mouth (John 14). His imminent return (coming like a thief in the night) was a key component of his teaching, so it is no petty threat. Unless you are a self declared atheist, then Christian’s words are not his own, but Christ’s. And theyre are not meant to work on you (i.e. scare you) they are meant to herald his coming. For the wicked and the righteous, his coming is a consumation of one’s belief system…even if you dont have one.

  28. Lyn, I dont mind Rob “hanging out” here. He’s welcome and I dont think he has an agenda. Of course I dont agree with some of his perspectives, but he is welcome. Please give him that respect. Thanks.

  29. Rob- your accusations are nothing more than senseless rambling themselves.
    The verses given pertain to YOUR ABOMINATION, and what it will cost you, eternal life in hell. You live in rebellion to God, you refuse to repent of your homosexuality. Your ‘opinion’ on what you label as discrimination was proven by God’s word to be false. The verses given state why born again believers cannot be yoked to unrepentant sinners such as yourself. You kick and scream and lash out the only way you know how, by making wild accusations about ‘insane rambling’. You behave like a child who doesn’t get his way, so you resort to a childlike ‘I’ll get you back’ mentality. It doesn’t matter what you think, you will die and go to hell unless the Lord is gracious and humbles your rebellious, arrogant heart.
    Here is the truth of the matter concerning sinners who refuse to repent, the wrath of God remains on you. He hates your perversion, it is an abomination to Him. {I do pray you actually READ the verses that are copied and pasted}. “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” Romans 2:5

    As for Christian’s warning of Christ’s soon return, he is correct. Your statement proves the truth and validity of God’s word, the book of 2nd Peter speaks of scoffers like yourself, ‘knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” And here you said, ‘For centuries, people like you have been warning that “Christ is returning soon,” and they have all been wrong. Sorry, but your petty threats don’t work on me.’ —Isn’t it amazing how God’s word prophesies truth!! You are walking according to your own lust and denying the return of Christ, just like Peter predicted; that should cause chills to run up and down your spine.
    Peter goes on to say this, ‘For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.’

    The end time prophecies are indeed coming to pass, and quickly. To deny this is to be a fool. Denial means you will be caught up in the horrific time that is soon to be unleashed on this earth, a time so terrible that if God had not shortened it, NO FLESH would survive. Read Revelation, starting with verse six; this is what you will experience. IF you survive the seal judgments, then you will face the trumpet and bowl judgments. It is doubtful you will make it through, for over one half of the earth’s population is killed before these judgments are completed.

    You can act all tough and cool; many who like you will be tough and cool until all hell breaks loose, then fear will seize them and they will literally die of fright. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:25-27

  30. So, this is respectful? “Because the insane, incoherent ramblings of religious fanatics like yourself amuse me to no end, Lyn.” Posted by Rob
    Does he get the same ‘reprimand’?

    GCMW: Lyn, youre not being reprimanded. I said I dont think Rob has an agenda and as a person here who is responding to comments directed at him he is welcome. Im asking you to understand that just because he is on this site, doesn’t mean he has an agenda. I do think there are some who have an agenda and I deal with them accordingly. You are also welcome to respond to his charge that you are a religious fanatic. Or you can just ignore it. Trust me I have been called much, much worse. Thanks.

  31. Lyn,

    Rob is a liberal who wants and excuse for his/her sins. Remember what the scripture has said Is. 32:7 ~ 7-The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. 8-But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

    The ungodly always create a biblical apologetic for sin. This is why the entire Episcopal church is confused in the homosexual issue. Many are confused between the love of God and the justtice of God and the time frames in which each is dispensed. The confusion is both purposeful and by the purpose of God.

    Look at the construction of Romans 1:28 “28-And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

    1- They didn’t like to “retain God” in their knowledge. This is not talking about God and his person or a religious persuasion. This is talking about subjecting the life to God and HIS word. “they” the homosexual in this case, didn’t like to retain God in their knowledge.

    Results:

    2- “God gave them over” Notice they didn’t yield and God said OK pass go…

    3- to a “reprobate” [strongs GK – 99 { adokimos }]
    mind – a mind that is not approved by God nor fit for his purpose

    4- “to do those things” ~ their plight is to perform these things because they have rejected truth.

    In other words the ultimate reality is that they have rejected God and have been rejected of God due to their insistence, and the end result is their actions.

    So good job Lyn, you’ve placed it as it is. There’s yet another witness and record that he/she will confront in eternity.

  32. Dunamis2,

    Did you cite Isaiah 32:8 from the King James Version? I ask because that translation was written in a time when the word “liberal” actually meant “generous,” and had nothing to do with the left-wing political ideology we now associate with it. Here is the verse as it appears in other translations:

    “But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” (NIV)

    “But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.” (NLV)

    “But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.” (New King James Version)

    “But a good leader plans to do good, and those good things make him a good leader.” (New Century Version)

    “But the noble deviseth noble things; and in noble things shall he continue.” (American Standard Version)

    So which is it, Dunamis2… are you ignorant to the fact that words adopt new meanings over time, or are you deliberately misrepresenting what the Bible says?

  33. GCMW,

    I didn’t know that “imminent” actually means “over 2,000 years from now.”

  34. His soon coming is to be embedded in our lives as Christians because (1) as individuals, death can come without warning and it is the end (2) we are to live as if he will come today (imminent). This was the point of his parable of the ten virgins. Read it to gain some insight.

  35. Rob,

    Me dost think that Ye Be High for the following reasons:

    1- The context of the passage affirms what the “liberality” is talking about. If you’d but NOTICE v.5 you will come to an understanding that the people of the day were calling “vile” (aka Fools or the Foolish) individuals “liberal” or good. They were also calling “churls” or misers, bountiful.

    In other words the morality, good, and righteousness had been set on it’s ear and people were calling what was evil, good and vice-versa.

    The first rule of hermenutics is to contextualize the verse in question, you fail to do so in an adequate fashion so you simply look at the word liberal and look for alternates much like a beginning bible student. This is your failure to understand what you are reading.

    Secondly, IF the scripture were talking uncritically or simply about a nobleman or a person with good intents the Hebrew was equipped for that as an alternate word was used in Prov. 11:25. Here the word {Berakah} is used to indicate one who is blessed and prosperous both toward God and men.

    So your reference only states what the literal word translation of “liberal” was with no regard for the contextualization of the wording or how the prophet was using the word. Why? because you simply want the scripture to affirm your unrighteous and what YOU THINK or try to MANIPULATE it to say.

    So who’s misrepresenting now?

  36. I think the addition to the billboard comment makes it well-balanced now. It seems as if many homosexuals and their apologetics want to use the fact that God is loving, in which they mistakenly perceive that His love is blind. He is the God of love as well as the God of judgment. The reason for His salvation is to save us from His own judgment

  37. Point taken, Dunamis2, but I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree; I don’t think Isaiah 32:8 has anything to do with liberals as we understand the concept today, so I question your decision to use that particular verse to describe me.

    I’ll add that it’s not my goal to manipulate or twist scripture to “affirm my unrighteousness,” frankly because I couldn’t care less what the Bible says about anything, much less homosexuality. To me, it is nothing more than a collection of very old, contradictory, often nonsensical documents written not by God but by superstitious men for superstitious people living in a superstitious time.

    I am sorry if I was quick to accuse you of deliberately misrepresenting the Bible. I have known too many Christians who are guilty of doing that, and I was raised in the Southern Baptist church, which obviously has a history of interpreting scripture to fit its agenda.

  38. Thanks Rob.

    I see you’re an atheist agnostic or freethinker. Check out some of my arguments on atheism on dunamis 2 and The Dunamis Word

    I’ve dealt with a similar line of reasoning in
    Antisupernaturalism & Historical Critical Method

    Go to the comments section as a gentleman named John laid out your type of argument and I gave reasons why I believe his premise is flawed.

    So far as your experience with the church I can only agree that some use the word to make people like them instead of like God. I’ve got nothing against you my friend.

  39. Did you see the news today? California upheld Prop 8. But let the 18,000 false marriages stay intact.

  40. This is one of those rare situations where people on both sides of the marriage equality debate can agree: one aspect of the California court ruling is great, while the other is very disappointing.

  41. Dunamis2,

    Thanks for the link to your blog. I consider myself an agnostic who strongly rejects organized religion in general, not just Christianity.

    And thank you for not calling me an evil abomination. Makes the conversation go a lot more pleasantly!

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