TimEfseaff

Mere Christianity by, C. S. Lewis (if you are interested in reading this, let me know, I'll pass it on to you when I'm done)

Nice. Very good.

Pssshhhh, what fun is that ? kidding. point taken.

I believe that everyone can only see -their own- warning indicator. I have one, and I can't see yours. awwww I thought I was something special. Is your's red like mine??? :>) Red is good............right ?

I believe that everyone can only see -their own- warning indicator. I have one, and I can't see yours.

I was thinking more in this way: 9) But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10) For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won't he? 11) In that case, the weak brother for whom Christ died is destroyed by your knowledge. 12) When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak consciences, you are sinning against Christ. 13) Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from falling. (1 Cor. 8) More toward those who are just coming to Christ, or those new in Christ. God seems to be speaking through Isaiah that; the Savior is coming, make sure your pathway to Him is clear. Apostle Paul also seems to be saying this. No restrictions, constraints, obligations, rules...the way to the Lord is clear. My point is - we, as believers, need to make sure we don't put any extra stuff in the way of someone coming to Christ. Also to make sure that person isn't perceiving that there are any "things" that they have to do, for Christ to accept them. Jesus didn't have any rules for people to follow, before they approached him. The Apostles tried to make some rules, and Jesus rebuked them. (when they tried to shoo the little children away)

10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. 11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.' " 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. (Isaiah 62) It's the believer's responsibility to make the pathway to the Savior clear. What a believer sees as "stones" and what are "stones" to another may be different. A believer needs to understand what another sees, and clear those stones out of the way...so they are not blocked, so they do not stumble. Same as what Apostle Paul was talking about ?

Aside from attending a Bible teaching church or study group, etc., one can also invest in a good quality Study Bible (or 2.....or 3). AND.....actually read the study notes in it, pertaining to the Scripture one is studying. The "I-got-it-as-a-prize-in-Sunday-School-King James-with-concordance-&-apocrypha" Bible, doesn't cut it, if you are looking for things like: historical context, extra-Biblical reference (reference to writings outside of the Bible text), anthropology (study of people, races, nations), etc. Thousands of researchers, have spent countless hours in the study of contextual issues pertaining to Bible Scripture. Then, assembled that information into useful notes for us. Make use of this resource in your study of Scripture.

It seems that the kroogh was "invented" to allow people to go before the congregation, and ask their fellow brothers & sisters to pray for them, and to also be able to state -out loud- what they would like their brothers & sisters to pray about/for (the people on the kroogh). Historically, it seems that people who went na-kroogh started to get loud, and cry, when stating their requests for prayer. People would put on a "show" of misery & sorrow for their sins, put on a show of their desire for repentance, then after church continue on their prior path. Almost like a confessional, people felt that they had done their penance in their public display. The other church members would notice this. Then, historically, it seems that people started to loudly petition about some embarrassing things. Either inappropriate things about their own problems/habits/issues, or even about other people. Taking these things into consideration, the elders started to “hush” people, when they would go off-track or start to become a spectacle. I believe that the combination of: hearing people petition loudly and be embarrassed by it, and seeing the elders hush people – led to the quiet petitioning style of today. I don’t believe that today’s petitioners are any less sorry for the sins they commit, just less likely to “air out their dirty laundry” in front of the community. (I’m basing my “history” on anecdotal stories & opinions told to me by my parents, and other older family members/friends.)

Disciple. Do you believe that the Molokan faith is based on the Truth. Yes or No. Please do not skirt the issue. "Molokan faith" ? Do you mean molokan religion ? The 2 words are not interchangeable.

The goal of the Holy Scriptures is to lead us to the Christ, Jesus. How can the destination be Truth, if the pathway is not also Truth ?

It would have to be taken into account, how one believes about the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit". The Pharisees knew the Law & the Prophets. They knew Scripture, very well. Almost perfectly. Word for word, punctuation, color of the ink. Yet, when faced with the fulfillment of prophecy, the prophecies that they knew so well, they denied their Messiah. The Holy Spirit spoke to them, told them the Messiah was coming, told them how he was coming/what the signs would be. He came - they denied Him. In doing so, they were saying that those signs, those prophecies, those fulfillment of prophecy......were false. In so doing, they were saying the Holy Spirit was false. In any time, after the Apostles, can anyone deny Jesus or the Holy Spirit in the same way ? Can circumstances be such, that someone can do what the pharisees did, to have Christ judge them blasphemers of the Holy Spirit ? I believe that "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" was a unique sin to those Pharisees, at that time. I don't believe that anyone can be faced with a set of events, like they were at that time, to be able to sin in the way that they did.

Impossible !!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronze_Bow The Bronze Bow by: Elizabeth George Speare This book has been around for a few years, but I haven't read it until now. Actually didn't read it, got the book-on-tapes for the past weekends trip to Fresno. Fascinating book. Read the Wikipedia review. I recommend this book highly, for an inspirational read.

I heard they played a concert last night in Fullerton. I'll check out their website to see when they play next, maybe a group of us can go? The Lyrics...Powerful The Instruments...Perfect The Vocals...Pavaratti The Vocals...Pavaratti ------ in a HeeHaw sorta way. How pompous..... Actually, whoever it is, this was a good listen. I'd like to hear some real studio recording, something without that school-auditorium ambience.