What is your spiritual net worth?

[Corduroy]

Yes. But not for a long time - Has it been suddenly changed, a chapter added, a new exciting twist on a plot??? Well has it?

Surprise ending is like Fight Club: God was just a figment of Jesus' imagination.

The original ending just confused everyone - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are all God, but multiple people, but God, which is one, made of multiple people.

Like Megazord?

Yes, like Megazord.

 

[In Between Man]

and here, I'll help you out. See what I highlighted in red? Now, was that not condescending and insulting? The guy got what he dishes.

I suppose I just don't put enough "stock" into comments that sound general and not directed towards any one person, even if it is condescending. But when it's direct, and sharp like "You are an arrogant prick, aren't you." it greatly detracts my interest in the discussion. I'd much rather read your perspective on the topic rather than an insult. And I would ignore it, but the more you see it the more it detracts from the overall forum experience.

for your edification "in between moron"...

I also suppose this is just the way you operate. I bet even when you physically socialize with friends, the people around you must get a good dose of gerry!

Moral of the story: be a good slave.

The actual moral to the story is to use your God-given gifts in the service of God, and to take risks for the sake of his kingdom. (source)

Yep, slavery is next to godliness.

ALL humans are slaves. You're either a slave to sin or you're a slave to Christ:

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. (John 8:34)

Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:17)

Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

 

[Spade]

No, In Between, the moral is to use the gifts you are given. And, in part, what Gerry was upset about was the misplaced assumption that he and the rest of us were not aware of this fact.

Why this "heaven" business? Isn't virtue it's own reward? Besides, quoting religious text from the Bible, Qu'ran, Rig-Veda et cetera, does not constitute proof of the validity of a statement. You are missing the point!

 

[TenPenny]

ALL humans are slaves. You're either a slave to sin or you're a slave to Christ:

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. (John 8:34)

Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:17)

Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

That's not true, you're only a slave if you wish to be one:

Jonah called out to the hills, crying 'Stay with me, gentlefolk, for I have a roasted goat' (Sean 8:74)

And down from the hills they came, carrying all their world goods about them, with small devices aplenty (Watson, 83:922)

 

[levanty]

That's not true, you're only a slave if you wish to be one:

Jonah called out to the hills, crying 'Stay with me, gentlefolk, for I have a roasted goat' (Sean 8:74)

And down from the hills they came, carrying all their world goods about them, with small devices aplenty (Watson, 83:922)

LOVELY DAY FOR AN EXORCISM ISN'T IT?
Satan and his evil host can do nothing the Lord does not allow them to do (Job 1-2). This being the case, Satan, thinking he is accomplishing his own purposes, is actually accomplishing God’s good purposes, as in the case of Judas’ betrayal. Some people develop an unhealthy fascination with the occult and demonic activity. This is unwise and unbiblical. If we pursue God, if we are clothing ourselves with His armor and relying upon His strength (Ephesians 6:10-18), we have nothing to fear from the evil ones, for God rules over all!

 

[TenPenny]

LOVELY DAY FOR AN GARDEN PARTY ISN'T IT?
Lucic and his gracious host can do nothing the Goalie does not allow them to do (Cherry 2-45). This being the case, Lucic, thinking he is accomplishing his team's purposes, is actually accomplishing the Goalie’s good purposes, as in the case of Kessel’s betrayal. Some people develop an unhealthy fascination with the overtime and shootout activity. This is unwise and unsportsmanlike. If we pursue Goals, if we are clothing ourselves with our underarmor and relying upon our strength (McKenzie 3:75-8745789), we have nothing to fear from the other ones, for our Goalie rules over all!


Well said.

 

[levanty]

The demon distorts the truth and spews out vile utterings - mocking the precious Word of our Lord God. Duck, In-between-man, else you be covered in the green vomit of the beast's servant. Do not grow weary in well doing In-Between, this one will come out but through prayer and fasting. Do not address the beast, do not look into his eyes just pray and quote scripture, this will force him out.

^ How does any of that relate to the bible story you quoted in your original post?

Because the servant (slave) didn't invest the money his master gave him (even when the master didn't tell him to do so).... is a sinner?

How?

Because he didn't invest the money to get more profit for his master or because he spoke his mind and told his master what he thought of him and his POS reward of doing more work?



Yeah.... the Spirit taught me that after 19 years of unanswered prayers and devotion to this God since childhood, it was all a complete waste of time that could be spent on more important things in my life. It taught me that I've wasted numerous opportunities and experiences in my life due to fear of punishment from an imaginary ghost in the clouds who couldn't give two rat turds about what we do on this planet or with our lives. It taught me that many of the elements of Christianity and other current religions stole images and concepts from older religions that these newer religions consider as mythologies.

Angels, Halos, Good Guys in the Sky, Bad Guys Underground all came from Greek Mythology, while the story of Jesus was a rip off of the story of Horus, the Sky God in Egyptian Mythologies..... it's all just re-worded mythologies.



Why?

Why should we accept this so called sin from Adam and Eve?

God create both of them and created them to be flawed from day one..... if Adam and Eve really did exist and if they really did sin, than that's because God designed them to sin, therefore it's God's fault, he's the one that created the situation and if God is truly all-knowing and all-seeing, he would have already known the outcome before it happened, yet he willingly went ahead and allowed humanity to be flawed and to commit sin....

..... and we're all expected to continue to take the blame and burden?

Because two humans ate a friggin apple they were told not to?

Oh, they ate it because they gave into temptation from a snake that represented the Devil.... yet God created that snake with that personality and knew damn well what would have happened..... the entire situation, if it ever even occurred in the first place, was a complete setup for entrapment.



He created this world don't forget..... he created us as we are and apparently he created us to be defiant and to question what is before us, which I guess is a flaw..... but that's his responsibility. He is all-seeing and all-knowing don't forget, so he should have known all of this was going to happen.

You can't just create a situation for your own amusement and entertainment and then blame the faults on those you put into that situation, wiping your hands clean of all responsibility.

That's a cop out and if God, with all his super powers and wonder, is copping out of his own responsibilities, then that's no God I'd want to worship and he can kiss my sinful ass.

But how does one listen to God and do what he says?

How do you know he's talking to us or to you?

How do you know what he says or doesn't?

Through the Bible?

A book written by flawed, sinful, mortal humans based on stories passed down from word of mouth for a long time after these stories apparently took place and those who truly witnessed all of this were long dead.... a book that has been revised and reinterpreted countless times over the centuries and has lost all logical meaning or sense.

What God wants or says is determined by other sinful and flawed human beings with their own subjective personal morals and interests.

You're not fooling anybody.



When I do something wrong, I admit it, learn from my mistakes and move on.... I don't need the forgiveness or approval of some magical, judgmental vapor-ass in the sky or one of his child-diddling priests here on earth (as if they're some basis of a moral compass we should follow) if he doesn't like how I live my life, he should have spoken up sooner, or did a better job in designing me.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Rom. 5:19)

 

[Dexter Sinister]

ALL humans are slaves. You're either a slave to sin or you're a slave to Christ.

It's the depressing bleakness of that false dichotomy and the parallel view that humanity by nature is depraved, sick, and devoid of merit without divine intervention (and that logically has to be the omniscient designer's fault, doesn't it?), that really puts me off your version of Christianity. There's at least one more option: you can think for yourself and be a slave to nobody and nothing.

 

[levanty]

It's the depressing bleakness of that false dichotomy and the parallel view that humanity by nature is depraved, sick, and devoid of merit without divine intervention (and that logically has to be the omniscient designer's fault, doesn't it?), that really puts me off your version of Christianity. There's at least one more option: you can think for yourself and be a slave to nobody and nothing.

We are “free” to do what we want to do, but we are bound in what we want by our evil nature and desires. We may do as we please, but we cannot please as we please. We cannot use our will to shape our natures, but rather, our natures determine how we will use our wills. Thus, the bible says very often, and in many different ways, that we are utterly bound in sin. In our flesh, we cannot please God (Rom. 8:5-8), we cannot understand the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14; John 3:3, 10-13; 14:17), we cannot seek God (Rom. 3:11), we cannot believe in God (John 6:44, 65; 10:26; 12:37-41), we cannot do anything good at all (Job 15:14-16; Prov. 20:9; Jer 13:23; Rom. 3:10-18). We are utterly captive to sin (John 8:34; Rom. 6:20; Tit. 3:3), we are prisoners of the devil and constrained to do his desires (John 8:43-45, 2 Tim. 2:25-26; 1 John 5:19), every impulse of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil continually (Gen. 6:5), and so every action we perform, no matter how “good” we think it is, is actually evil, nothing but “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). Ever since the fall, we are not free to do anything good whatsoever; and we can only begin to do good as the Spirit gives us a new nature (Ezek. 36:26-27). We are only free when the Son sets us free (John 8:36).

 

[Dexter Sinister]

What preposterous BS, and what a pathetic view of human nature. I reject it utterly.

 

[levanty]

What preposterous BS, and what a pathetic view of human nature. I reject it utterly.

I know that it smells of feces and sometimes even hurts but oftentimes - very much needed.

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

— Luke 13:6–9, King James Version​

 

[TenPenny]

He drew also this parabola; An uncertain man had an mp3 player mounted inhis courtyard; and he came and sought satisfaction from the music therein, andfound none. Then said he unto the masses gathered in his driveway, Behold,these three years I come seeking music in this heavenly sanctuary; unpluggethyour headphones. And he answering said unto him, Larry, let it alone this yearalso, till the Lady Gaga returns to the charts: And if it bear fruit, well: andif not, then after that thou shalt listen to Keith Richards.

— Uncle Wiggly 3:1415-9, King Clancy Version​

 

[55Mercury]

Dungeons and Dragons?

cool

 

[JLM]

About 30 pieces of silver.

 

[levanty]

Dungeons and Dragons?

cool

Revelation 12:7 NIV

7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
​

 

[Dexter Sinister]

He spake also this parable; ...

What a gift for irrelevance you have.

Citing scripture in support of a position that's indefensible by any other means is a logical fallacy that indicates your argument is bankrupt.

 

[levanty]

What a gift for irrelevance you have.

Citing scripture in support of a position that's indefensible by any other means is a logical fallacy that indicates your argument is bankrupt.

God loves you and Jesus died for you. You need to get right with God today.

 

[TenPenny]

God loves you and Jesus died for you. You need to get right with God today.

As I said, if Jesus died for my sins, and I don't sin, he died in vain.

I'm not going to 'get right' with God, I only 'get right' with my wife. You might be the kind that fuks around, but I'm not.

 

[Cliffy]

God loves you and Jesus died for you. You need to get right with God today.

You need to get right with lithium or Valium. I mean, Holy Crap! You could fertilize a thousand acres with this morning's output alone.

Read carefully the signature at the bottom of my post. Those who seek god in the pages of a book will only find ink on paper.

 

[levanty]

James 4:11-17

"11 Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you that you judge your neighbor? 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain"; 14 whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is you life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."