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HappyChristian

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Posts posted by HappyChristian

  1. 19 hours ago, Napsterdad said:

    We had lasagna on New Year's Day too. I love my wife's lasagna. Leftovers were all gone yesterday 😞. My birthday is coming up. Maybe I'll ask her to make some more for that. 😋

    Hubs just finished ours up this evening. It's definitely a hit meal! You should have lasagna on your birthday! 😃

  2. Happy New Year to all - hopefully 2024 is one of the best years in our Lord ever. 

    We started the year Sunday evening (I realize the year didn't start til midnight, but it was 2024 elsewhere in the world heehee) with food and games at church after the service. It was fun, and hubs and I stayed longer than we planned...in fact, we ended up being the last to leave. lol

    Yesterday we had our son, dil, and grandson over for dinner along with a young lady who's been coming to church (and whom I'm discipling currently). Lasagna and then more games. But THIS grandma got to play with her grandson and then feed him, rock him to sleep and just enjoy holding that sleeping boy til he woke up. Nice start to the new year. 😍

  3. Our theme this year is "Giving the Lord More in 2024."  The "more" is non-specific in the theme but hubs will preach/teach specifics as the Lord leads him.

    We also have a monthly memory verse as well as monthly topics. Hubs' desire is that folks learn the Bible, learn where things are found in the Bible, and hopefully grow to love the Bible more. January's topic goes along with the year's theme: Giving God Our Best. The verses for this topic are 1 Cor. 10:31, Col. 3:17, and 3:23. 1 Cor. 10:31 is the memory verse. 

     

  4. We attended a church (were members) where a protest was held - for several weeks.  It was not for this same reason, but it was legitimate. There were a few protesters who wanted violence, but cooler heads prevailed. Had we cancelled services where protesters were outside, we wouldn't have met for weeks. Not a practical idea. They also stayed on the perimeter of the church. Some of them shouted very rude stuff when we left the church, but that was not the majority. 

    Abuse of any kind that has been prevalent in a church needs to have the spotlight on it. Peaceful protesters should be allowed/encouraged, etc. And it sounds like Bro. Wilkerson intends to do so. And WHAT A BLESSING to hear him say that the police need to be called in abuse situations. Breath of fresh air!

  5. 2 hours ago, TheGloryLand said:

    A spiritual person can let this world get to them. Letting down what they have learned.

    A truly spiritual person won't because they will keep their eyes on the Lord. Doesn't mean there won't be disappointments and times of crying out to the Lord in grief, sadness, or despair. But a truly spiritual person will not let down what they "learned" but will rather lean on the Savior.

  6. The peace that we have does not rest in the absence of evil, but rather in the Person of Jesus Christ. As has been mentioned, troubled times (evil times) have existed since sin entered the world. Mankind became sinners, and the world was cursed. We still live in a cursed world, with sinners (ourselves as well as others). Sin is evil.  We too often rationalize sin, but sin is evil. Both Noah's actions and Ham's actions after the flood show that sin/evil is ever with us, whether we are able to commit acts of sin or not. 

    I would imagine that there were arguments/disagreements while on the ark. Because all 8 of the folks on board were human and sinners. As was said, we do not know what happened while they were on the ark.

    While we do live in a cursed world, I believe there have been times when evil has been more rampant than at other times. Jesus Himself mentioned "as the days of Noah" as a comparison of the absolute evil that would run amok before Jesus returns. I believe evil will grow and spread and become worse and worse the closer to Christ's return we get...and that because Christians will get more and more apathetic.

    The thing is, TGL, even with God in our lives, there is trouble. Because of sin. Trouble can be various things: ill health, persecution (think of the persecuted churches...they have God with them, and yet they are always in danger of persecution and even death). God can and does often protect, but peace, again, rests in Christ, not the absence of trouble/sin/evil.

  7. The Bible refers to them as Magi, which in it's literal form is talking about men who read the stars. The magi, as a widespread group, were often advisers of kings, linked to royalty in other ways, and oftimes were politically active. They were also considered wise men (Daniel and his three friends were wise men, added to the magi of the king...actually a commonplace occurrence in that part of the world - the east - at that time).  Point of fact that is interesting: in Esther 1:13,14, the king's wise men were called princes. (did you know that Baalam was referred to as a "magus" or wise man...this was in the first century,  not the Bible but is indicative of the common usage of the term in that area)

    One thing that those of us with western minds don't realize is that "kings" in various places of the earth didn't necessarily mean the same thing as what we think of as kings. Example: the ancient kings of Ireland, Scotland were chieftains  - leaders of tribes. Some of them grew their influence, some didn't. So as to calling them kings - I can't find any evidence that the Catholic church renamed them kings (but, of course, the RCC uses it a lot). I don't know when or who gave them names, but I know Ben Hur names them.

    Oftimes the wise men, magi, were men of money and influence, and this could have been where the title "king" came from.

    But there were most likely many more people than just 3 men...in that day, it was dangerous to travel distances due to highwaymen. So most travel was done in large groups. (and did you also know that it was likely Arabian horses they rode rather than camels? 😁 ). It's quite likely that there were a number of magi, their servants, and their pack animals carrying the necessary rations, the gifts, etc. When they entered Jerusalem, the Bible tells us that the city was troubled along with Herod. Were they simply three men who came to see the king, it's not likely the whole city would have heard about their search for the one born king of the Jews. 

    Also, most folks say that the wise men followed the star from the east to Bethlehem. But they didn't...the Bible clearly tells us they saw the star in the East...they knew a king was born (remember they studied the stars - and it is believed by many that these men knew of the prophecy of the Scetpre that would rise out of Judah - a very special king of the Jews) and they came to the place they believed the king of the Jews would be born, the common sense place: Jerusalem. The Bible then tells us that when they left Jerusalem to head to Bethlehem they saw the star again. And THEN is when it led them to Jesus.

    Lots of interesting tidbits that have been re-invented about the entire birth of Christ. A study of OT prophecy of the coming Messiah and the NT verses about His birth can really clear up confusion, though. And I think it's a fascinating study.

    And since the wise men were not at the birth, we don't include them in any nativity scene.

  8. 9 minutes ago, Pastor Matt said:

    Right now, I'm 5 minutes into the first episode, and boy, they are painting with a very broad brush— lumping every IFB pastor into being like Hyles and Steve Anderson

    Do you have a link? I looked and found several things but am not sure which is which. And broad brushing seems to be the way all of the abuse accusations become. I understand that there is evil and that it needs to be called out. But I do believe it waters down the impact of the actual abuse and its victims when the agenda includes folks never involved in it. Then it seems to be an agenda to destroy a group (in this instance the IFB) rather than to expose the evil and aid the victims. I do hope that is not the case with this.

  9. There is the (unlikely) possibility that  the book is being used as a proof text as to why it's wrong. As I said, probably not, but not knowing the colleges that are requiring this, just trying to be kind. lol

  10. On 12/6/2023 at 10:37 AM, TheGloryLand said:

    Thank you for pointing out. Yes it does have a Catholic approach and hopefully many Catholics will read it. I do clearly explain that Mary was chosen by God to be the earthly mother, and like us being mortal, she did die because of her sins. Being saved, she’ll be risen like we will. if I were to say Jesus, the man, we all understand that he came as a man, but was God. But Mary’s case, she was the mother that served as only a mother, on earth. The title was just an attention grabber, but it’s explained through the post. Thank you for understanding and if it really offends anybody the title, I have no problem changing it to Mary, the servant of God, or Jesus.

    @TheGloryLand. please go ahead and change "God" in your title to "Jesus." And cut "the virgin" out. Salyan explained it well.  Sometimes when I look up a topic on the Internet, one of the titles from our forum will pop up. I've always thought that was pretty neat. However, we don't want folks thinking we as a board believe in the perpetual virginity or godhood of Mary. Thanks, TGL.

  11. And let's face it: pastors and their families are human, so there WILL be problems. Should he step down? Well, the best guide for that is not going to man for advice, but rather to scripture. God outlines what He wants in a pastor's home/life.  If any those qualifications are consistently muffed up, then, yes, he should step down (consistent lack of meeting those qualifications will definitely cause him to be unable to regularly fulfill his calling properly). I do think the "what" is important: for instance, having your children under control does not mean that they won't be disobedient or stupid at times because they are as human as the pastor. It does, however, mean that when the children need to be disciplined/straightened out, pastor daddy will take it in hand and take care of the issue. Allowing sin to dominate in the life of his children is not ruling his house well. Etc.  Boy, have we strayed from the OP. lol (but in reality, it all fits hand-in-hand, doesn't it?)

     

  12. I believe that, if the offense is a crime, church discipline would include calling in the authorities. I know 1 Cor 6 doesn't seem to teach that, but I honestly don't think the verses are teaching that there is never a time to turn someone over to the authorities. God created civil government, and I don't believe He is pleased when we keep things like sexual abuse "in house." 

    I wonder, though, if church discipline were done correctly and in a timely manner, would there be less instances of perversion?

  13. My hubs is currently doing a series on the history of Israel on Sunday nights. Began before Hamas attacked, so it's not because of the war. I agree it's important to understand about Israel. Far too many people think that biblical prophecy centers around the US. But in reality, it is a good idea to keep our eyes on what's happening in, with, and to Israel.

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