tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.comments2023-04-26T11:31:29.245-04:00Slash the EditorAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-57574463778565047882013-05-26T08:12:07.561-04:002013-05-26T08:12:07.561-04:00www.HolyBibleVerse.com is a handy online Holy Bibl...<b><a href="http://www.holybibleverse.com" rel="nofollow">www.HolyBibleVerse.com</a> is a handy online Holy Bible search engine with many ways to view (or compare), listen (MP3 audio) or search by verses/chapters/books.</b> Over 100 online versions of the Bible. It's free, nothing to install & no sign-up.Max Powershttp://www.virtualholybible.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-81938392279154706812013-02-23T20:17:51.035-05:002013-02-23T20:17:51.035-05:00Just as words in any language can have multiple de...Just as words in any language can have multiple definitions depending on various factors, <i>agape</i> had a normal, common definition among the Greek-speaking population and another that was confined to the New Testament church. On several occasions, the apostle Paul used common words in a specialized way (<i>charis</i> comes to mind). So, there was a secular <i>agape</i>, a selfless love without expectation of anything in return that anyone could show toward another (by the way, a very rare form in secular Greek), but the New Testament <i>agape</i>, poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), is an <i>agape</i> that only true Christians can perform. It is a heightened and more specific <i>agape</i> that describes not merely selfless acts of goodness, but acts of the kind that God would do or acts motivated by His Spirit.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-27107460340856584682012-12-31T00:09:22.756-05:002012-12-31T00:09:22.756-05:00I have a question about agape love.
If I understa...I have a question about agape love.<br /><br />If I understand you correctly, you seem to be saying that agape love is only the love that a true Christian can have because of the Holy Spirit, that is, it is a miraculous love that a non-Christian cannot have.<br /><br />So the Greeks, before Christ was born and before the New Testament Church of God was started on Pentecost, could not have agape love.<br /><br />But agape is a Greek word, a word commonly used by Greeks at that time. To them, it meant a certain kind of love they could have. <br /><br />Now, the meaning of any word comes from its common usage. If I say the word "apple" and you hear me say "apple", it means what it means because I understand what I mean to say by "apple" and when you hear me say "apple" you understand it to mean the same thing I do. That is how that word gets its meaning - through common usage.<br /><br />That is why those who write dictionaries base their definitions on how words are used and understood among the entire population. That is how a word can change in its meaning, the word "gay", for example, use to mean happy and now it means something else - because people use it differently.<br /><br />Now, why would the greeks have a word (agape) for something that is impossible for them? If they used that word, it meant, for them, a kind of love they were familiar with, a kind of love they could have. If that is what it meant for them, why would that word mean something different for John and the early church? If the Greeks when they said "agape" meant a love they had, why would John, when he used the word "agape", mean a love that unconverted Greeks could not have? <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-84290095788524232002011-08-18T11:06:17.844-04:002011-08-18T11:06:17.844-04:00Thanks very much for this. Every American needs to...Thanks very much for this. Every American needs to consider this poem, understanding that we are on the brink of becoming like Nineveh and Tyre if we forget the God who gave us the wonderful blessings to be a mighty nation of this world.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-60498273998479663562011-06-11T22:11:59.392-04:002011-06-11T22:11:59.392-04:00Mr. Ritenbaugh, I couldn’t help but think of Rudya...Mr. Ritenbaugh, I couldn’t help but think of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Lest We Forget” upon reading your thoughtful post. (That phrase is found many times as an epitaph on soldier's gravestones, though the phrase is used out of its correct context.) Several lines are very apropos to your commentary, in some respects. Kipling realized that God is the One who fights our battles, and, ultimately, not we ourselves; that it takes a humble and contrite heart to make the ultimate sacrifice, and not the sacrifice of death upon a human “killing field”; that human boasting of militaristic achievement is futile–since all will turn to dust!<br /><br />From the Wikipedia article about the poem: “The poem expresses the underlying sadness that the [British] empire might go the way of all empires. Kipling recognizes that boasting and jingoism–faults of which he was often accused–were inappropriate and vain in light of God’s dominion over the world.” Subject line: Recessional (poem)<br /><br />Here are the lyrics to the poem “Lest We Forget”:<br /><br />God of our fathers, known of old—<br />Lord of our far-flung battle line—<br />Beneath whose awful hand we hold<br />Dominion over palm and pine—<br />Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,<br />Lest we forget—lest we forget!<br /><br />The tumult and the shouting dies—<br />The Captains and the Kings depart—<br />Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,<br />An humble and a contrite heart.<br />Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,<br />Lest we forget—lest we forget!<br /><br />Far-called our navies melt away—<br />On dune and headland sinks the fire—<br />Lo, all our pomp of yesterday<br />Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!<br />Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,<br />Lest we forget—lest we forget!<br /><br />If, drunk with sight of power, we loose<br />Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—<br />Such boastings as the Gentiles use,<br />Or lesser breeds without the Law—<br />Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,<br />Lest we forget—lest we forget!<br /><br />For heathen heart that puts her trust<br />In reeking tube and iron shard—<br />All valiant dust that builds on dust,<br />And guarding calls not Thee to guard.<br />For frantic boast and foolish word,<br />Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!texasbornnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-91529135549341341732011-02-27T15:21:33.419-05:002011-02-27T15:21:33.419-05:00Very good points. The contrast between what we ar...Very good points. The contrast between what we are now with our human nature and what God can make of us if we yield to Him is tremendous, and it shows the wisdom, righteousness, and power of God.<br /><br />Mr. Armstrong talked about this. I don't remember his exact words, but he said that mankind is far less right now than he thinks of himself, but his potential is inconceivably greater than he imagines.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-43898761924532582122011-02-04T22:14:01.108-05:002011-02-04T22:14:01.108-05:00Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series...Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series just as well!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-19354227619716305032011-01-14T21:55:56.068-05:002011-01-14T21:55:56.068-05:00Thank you, God is Wonderful and you Described Him ...Thank you, God is Wonderful and you Described Him Beautiful.<br />First time reading your blog, I enjoyed it every much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-32996655037084801262010-06-04T16:52:40.282-04:002010-06-04T16:52:40.282-04:00I just wish more people knew about it.I just wish more people knew about it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-7637923053584527462010-04-18T14:22:30.129-04:002010-04-18T14:22:30.129-04:00The truth about the white throne judgment and the ...The truth about the white throne judgment and the message of Ezekiel chapter 37 is one of the most important and encouraging truths that the Church of God has been blessed with. Many people outside the Church agonize over the fate of their unconverted loved ones, while others who are not religiously oriented are against Christianity because they think that it teaches a God that arbitrarily condemns people because of circumstances of birth over which they have no control.<br /><br />But the truth of God's plan for mankind is wonderful, and it demonstrates God's love, wisdom, and justice.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-66359745594984947822009-11-23T16:39:40.818-05:002009-11-23T16:39:40.818-05:00Excellent post. I agree that the true church is a...Excellent post. I agree that the true church is a spiritual organism, not found in just one organization. The true Church of God is the collective body of everyone who has the Spirit of God dwelling within them.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-57001774225874106502008-10-25T23:37:00.000-04:002008-10-25T23:37:00.000-04:00I am encouraged and glad to hear about your effort...I am encouraged and glad to hear about your efforts to get a message out. I wish you the best of success in doing this.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for the answer.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-77254520951461442252008-10-24T12:42:00.000-04:002008-10-24T12:42:00.000-04:00In my own mind, I keep coming back to Amos 3:1-2, ...In my own mind, I keep coming back to Amos 3:1-2, in which God tells Israel that He has known (intimately) only Israel among all nations. The Christian faith is well known among the modern nations of Israel, and the Bible is still the top bestseller. The people of these nations know what the Bible--God--says, but they have simply disregarded it in their haste to have it their way. As Romans 1 tells us, there is no need for a more direct witness, as the very creation witnesses of God and His way. Most have just suppressed it.<BR/>Perhaps the Two Witnesses will make a strong witness to Israel before the Great Tribulation. I think it is a strong possibility. However, I am hesitant to think that it will be in the time-worn manner of the WCG and its offshoots. I think their witness will be far more "spiritual" in nature--both in content and in delivery. Their methods will hearken back to the OT prophets' methods. If you have not read it already, my recent article on <A HREF="http://cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PW/k/1390/Gods-Two-Witnesses.htm" REL="nofollow">the Two Witnesses</A> may be of some help to you.<BR/>As for the extent of today's witness, it is probably more widespread than you think. Our own efforts (CGG) are far greater than they appear on the surface. Our Daily Berean Comment reaches over 40,000 people each day. Our <A HREF="http://www.bibletools.org" REL="nofollow">BibleTools.org</A> website gets upwards of 3 million pagehits per month (up to as many as 6 million). Combine that with the efforts of the other splinters, and it is significant. Cheer up! God is getting His message out!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-78270494424558326462008-10-19T02:17:00.000-04:002008-10-19T02:17:00.000-04:00Well, I am thinking God will probably empower the ...Well, I am thinking God will probably empower the Church to warn everyone before the two witnesses. I hope I am not wrong. I know that sounds impossible. When the work of warning was perhaps at its peak near the end of Mr. Armstrong's life, even with a Plain Truth circulation greater than seven million, we still only reached a small fraction, and now the Church of God reaches very much fewer than that. But the reason I am hopeful that God will empower the Church to reach everyone in Israel with a warning before the two witnesses is that God is very zealous for his name, that it be glorified, and God's love for Israel will be manifested by giving Israel the warning they need while there is still time to repent and escape. God would be demonstrating His fairness and mercy by giving all Israel a warning before it is too late. This is consistant with the Bible record which shows God's willingness and pattern of warning people of consequences while there is still time for them to escape, starting with the warning God gave Cain.<BR/><BR/>Any Israelites who go into the tribulation without being given a warning before it is too late will be tempted to think God was unfair. Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't the two witnesses empowered at the begining of the tribulation? If so, this means once they start their special work, it is too late for any in Israel to escape the tribulation by repenting. This can be a stumbling block for them that will make their repentance and trust in God more difficult in the future. This can be especially true for religious people who are doing their best to keep God's commandments as they understand them, but don't know they are doing wrong by keeping Christmas, Easter, using images, etc. They might think, if only someone had told me, I could have repented. The temptation would be there to blame God. But if we get the warning out to them, and they ignore it or laugh at it, after the tribulation begins they can remember they heard it and say, "I should have listened." This can be a first step towards accepting responsibility and repenting.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, this is why I hope that the Church will be able to get the warning out to everyone before the two witnesses, so God's fairness and mercy can be demonstrated to Israel, and to make it easier for Israel to repent during the tribulation by accepting responsibility for ignoring the message rather than being tempted to blame God because they never heard it. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps God will reveal this to His Church as you say, end then give the Church the power to do it after revealing His intention. Or perhaps, God has revealed this already through the pattern of warnings in the Bible, the "watchman" passages in Ezekiel, Proverbs 24:11-12, the prophecy of Matthew 24:14, and similar scriptures. <BR/><BR/>Do you think that perhaps the two witnesses will get a warning out before the tribulation so some might hear and escape, then continue their work after the tribulation begins?author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-59303480585656602922008-10-17T18:31:00.000-04:002008-10-17T18:31:00.000-04:00I agree that God will warn Israel before the Tribu...I agree that God will warn Israel before the Tribulation. My question is "How much more warning do they get?" The church has been warning Israel for many years through Herbert Armstrong, and now through the various churches of God, though not to the same level. Perhaps the greatest warning will be through the Two Witnesses, when they are made known to the church and to the world. As Amos 3:7 says, God never does anything of this magnitude unless He reveals it first to His servants. We await that revelation, in my estimation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-88461901744480042382008-10-13T02:16:00.000-04:002008-10-13T02:16:00.000-04:00I noticed in all the media coverage, and in the st...I noticed in all the media coverage, and in the statements made by leaders, that no one has said how the country will pay for the 700 billion dollar plan. I didn't hear "tax increase". I didn't hear "cut social security" or "cut aid to education", or cut anything. I didn't hear "balloon the budget deficit beyond our capacity to ever get pay our debts".<BR/><BR/>The current economic crisis seems to be a step in the decline of the power and wealth of the United States, and this fits in with prophecies about the time of Jacob's trouble. Details of the credit crisis are more complex than I can grasp, but I think when the smoke clears the dollar will be lower and the American economy will be weaker compared with the economies of other nations. We are being set up for an eventual fall.<BR/><BR/>But I think the tribulation will not come until a warning goes out to all of Israel from the Church, a powerful warning that everyone will hear, so no one can say, "I never had a chance because I didn't know I was doing anything wrong." There is a consistant pattern of God giving warnings in the Bible, out of love, and I think He will do so this time. It will help our people accept responsibility for ignoring the warning, which will be a first step to their repentance during the tribulation, and it will glorify God by demonstrating His fairness.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-91369248962343628962008-06-19T10:42:00.000-04:002008-06-19T10:42:00.000-04:00Recently exonerated Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani tell...Recently exonerated Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani tells Michael Savage and WorldNetDaily that he is going to sue Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and <I>Time</I> magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, over their smears of his character in the Haditha matter. See the <A HREF="http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67434" REL="nofollow">WND article</A> on the matter.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-45640114360467621392008-06-18T11:22:00.000-04:002008-06-18T11:22:00.000-04:00We can add another Marine to the list of Haditha s...We can add another Marine to the list of Haditha soldiers who have had charges dropped against them. This time it is Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, whose case was dismissed on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. As Michelle Malkin puts it in her <A HREF="http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/MichelleMalkin/2008/06/18/the_marines_vs_haditha_smear_merchants" REL="nofollow">TownHall column</A>, "Bottom line: That's zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go." Don't expect any apologies.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-30061267755694393412008-06-05T12:10:00.000-04:002008-06-05T12:10:00.000-04:00Yet another U.S. marine present at the so-called H...Yet another U.S. marine present at the so-called Haditha atrocity has been acquitted. "Lieutenant Andrew Grayson, 27, was declared 'not guilty on all charges' by a jury, said a spokesman for the Camp Pendleton military base in southern California where the hearing started on May 28" (<A HREF="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080605084225.pp252kqf&show_article=1" REL="nofollow">story here</A>). It looks as if none of the charges against these marines will hold up.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-19216261446483278542008-05-22T10:55:00.000-04:002008-05-22T10:55:00.000-04:00Quite true. This point, I think, is one of Herbert...Quite true. This point, I think, is one of Herbert Armstrong's most lasting and significant restored truths. "Many are called but few are chosen," yet all will have an opportunity for salvation, in line with the perfect justice of God. So God uses hidden meanings, mysteries, and the blindness cast by Satan to convert each one at the right time, whether that be now, in the Millennium, or in the Great White Throne Judgment period.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-90888855367002562262008-05-21T19:54:00.000-04:002008-05-21T19:54:00.000-04:00I think you are correct to point out the fact that...I think you are correct to point out the fact that Jesus often spoke in parables to hide his meaning from the crowds. Many people have been taught that Jesus always spoke in parables to make His meaning clear. But it is important to realize that this is not true, that He often used parables to hide his meaning from those who were not His disciples. Understanding this naturally leads to the question, "why", and that in turn leads to an important truth, that God is not calling everyone in this age, but that God provides an opportunity for salvation for everyone who has ever lived, in God's time.<BR/><BR/>I have noticed many times in forums and blogs that people question God's goodness and fairness because they think that those who never had an opportunity to be saved in this age are condemned. This is a major stumbling block for many. But God in His wisdom and love provides a way for everyone to eventually have an opportunity to be saved. That is an important lesson for people to learn because it shows God's fairness, and realizing that Jesus spoke in parables to hide His meaning can be an excellent starting point for that lesson.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-61648370596103158232008-05-19T16:08:00.000-04:002008-05-19T16:08:00.000-04:00Your observation may be true. However, Jesus' comm...Your observation may be true. However, Jesus' comments on His purpose in giving His teaching in parables do not make such a distinction. Even in the case of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, there is an obvious meaning that only the most hard-headed listener would fail to grasp, but deeper meaning awaits the true Christian beyond the prima facie moral. For instance, the types of the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan provides instruction, as does the oil and the wine, etc. Beyond this, the whole attitude of the Samaritan is illustrative of the citizen of God's Kingdom, one of its mysteries.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-28922986632121430342008-05-18T10:56:00.000-04:002008-05-18T10:56:00.000-04:00Many of Christ's parables were given to hide the m...Many of Christ's parables were given to hide the meaning from the general public, as with the parable of the sower and the seed. It was given to Christ's disciples to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but not the crowds. Yet some of Christ's parables were given even to make the mean clear to those who were not his disciples. An example is the parable of the good Samaritan. This parable illustrated Christ's answer to the one who asked, "who is my neighbor?"<BR/><BR/>It seems that when an issue had to do with the secrets of the kingdom of God, Christ spoke in parables to hide the meaning, but when someone asked about an application of God's law, Christ made the meaning clear.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-60831340579057226252008-04-08T00:54:00.000-04:002008-04-08T00:54:00.000-04:00There may be many areas where the fields of religi...There may be many areas where the fields of religion and politics overlap. I think one of these issues that may increase in prominance in the future is the issue of abortion. I am hoping to see Roe vs. Wade be overturned sometime in the future.<BR/><BR/>I am not up-to-date on the political leanings of the justices on the Supreme Court. After the last conservative nominee was confirmed, I had hoped that Roe vs. Wade might be overturned, but that hasn't happened.<BR/><BR/>If someday Roe vs. Wade is overturned, that will throw the issue right into the congress, and it will become a hotter issue than ever before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254798419582010323.post-55484217395561243592008-04-03T11:20:00.000-04:002008-04-03T11:20:00.000-04:00Here is a fuller treatment of the facts surroundin...Here is a fuller treatment of the facts surrounding the <A HREF="http://www.townhall.com/news/us/2008/03/28/case_dropped_against_haditha_defendant?page=1" REL="nofollow">dropped charges</A> against Tatum. Also, here is some <A HREF="http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MichaelReagan/2008/04/02/haditha_the_collapse_of_a_liberal_fiction?page=1" REL="nofollow">commentary</A> on the whole issue from Michael Reagan.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749759242159731358noreply@blogger.com