One for Israel

[Rival]

How can you know that there is life after death?

Is there somewhere you're going with this? We're treading off topic, here. I thought we're talking about the relationship of the 'heart' to faith, not an interrogation of my religious beliefs. I answered you and now you seem to be going down some rabbit hole. If there's somewhere you're trying to end up, please just say it.

 

[dybmh]

But why should God save you if you're not righteous or holy?

I have no idea.

If God reads the heart, then our hearts must be without blemish or spot.

OTOH... Jacob's flock were ringed spotted and mottled.

 

[blü 2]

Fair question. To me it means our spirit, the root of good and evil in man.

Meanwhile, back here on earth, the root of good and evil in man is a mix of evolution and environment.

Bear in mind that "good" means "beneficial to me or mine or causes I support" and "bad" (or "evil" if you prefer) means "detrimental to me or mine or causes I support". All morality is relative.

 

[stvdv]

What do you say when you hear people, like me, say that Jesus Christ is the only way to God [eternal life]?

What I would say to this:

You are free to have your own opinion. So, I have no problem that you believe that "Jesus is the only way to God [eternal life] for you"

The moment you would impose your opinion as a fact on me, I would say:
1) You violate the RF Rule (#8 if I remember correctly)
2) You seat yourself on God's chair, called blasphemy

I do my best not to commit the first mistake, but the second one I try even harder to avoid
It's also called Spiritual Ego. The Scriptures warn us for this obstacle on the spiritual path

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I also believe that God has given us guidance, but we disagree as to what that guidance states!

Who do you know that has been resurrected from the dead?

No human body has, that we will Se again in the flesh

Christ on the other hand is born into this world when God so chooses.

Regards Tony

 

[74x12]

I've been listening to 'One for Israel' testimonies given by Jews who have come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Wow. I have an immediate heart-felt desire to embrace these individuals!

This led me to think about the importance of the heart in our search for God.

Hebrews 4: 12. 'For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.'

1 Samuel 16:7. 'But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.'

Mark 16:14. 'Afterward he [Jesus] appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.'

Psalm 61:2. 'From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.'

Psalm 119:11. 'Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.'

Do you think you're honest regarding the needs of your heart? What causes us to become 'hard of heart'?

I like the YT channel.

 

[firedragon]

I've been listening to 'One for Israel' testimonies given by Jews who have come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Wow. I have an immediate heart-felt desire to embrace these individuals!

This led me to think about the importance of the heart in our search for God.

Hebrews 4: 12. 'For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.'

1 Samuel 16:7. 'But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.'

Mark 16:14. 'Afterward he [Jesus] appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.'

Psalm 61:2. 'From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.'

Psalm 119:11. 'Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.'

Do you think you're honest regarding the needs of your heart? What causes us to become 'hard of heart'?

Millions and millions of people have seen millions and millions of other people who convert from all sorts of isms and theologies to something else and give very nice testimonies, some very honest and true, some absolutely bogus, some very nice to watch and a few maybe not so nice, and this means zilch.

When someone asks a question "are you honest with regards to the need of your heart" type of question must know that this kind of rhetoric can be asked right back at you. You go to a remote country somewhere and find a person from one of those theologies that you dont much about and ask this question he will most probably answer "yes". Since you are quoting the Bible, Jesus also says "why do you look at the thimble in my eye while you have a plank in yours".

I suddenly remembered this Liam Neeson "honest thief".

 

[Harel13]

I just watched one. How did I feel about it? It was a little far fetched.

Yeah, same. I saw a couple once. Seemed so foreign to me.

 

[viole]

This led me to think about the importance of the heart in our search for God.

Well, for sure I would not advise to use your head only, if faith is that important to you.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Redemptionsong]

Millions and millions of people have seen millions and millions of other people who convert from all sorts of isms and theologies to something else and give very nice testimonies, some very honest and true, some absolutely bogus, some very nice to watch and a few maybe not so nice, and this means zilch.

When someone asks a question "are you honest with regards to the need of your heart" type of question must know that this kind of rhetoric can be asked right back at you. You go to a remote country somewhere and find a person from one of those theologies that you dont much about and ask this question he will most probably answer "yes". Since you are quoting the Bible, Jesus also says "why do you look at the thimble in my eye while you have a plank in yours".

I suddenly remembered this Liam Neeson "honest thief".

I'm very happy to have the question asked of me. I'm also very happy to admit my sin, and my need of a Saviour from sin and death.

The reason I am able to ask others about sin is because I have experienced being 'broken'. It's not a question of claiming I'm 'holier than thou'.

Our hearts are the spiritual core of our being, and I believe that until we speak honestly about our spiritual needs we cannot hope to get close to God. The great thing about the testimonies on 'One for Israel' is that they convey honesty of Spirit.

It's understandable that people should be defensive about this aspect of life. The heart is what gets hurt when relationships fail, when evil is committed, and when abuse is experienced. Fast living, and power seeking ambition, seem to me to 'blanket' the heart, as do many other things.

I believe that there is a common thread running throughout humanity, which is a need for love. When this is absent then hearts become hardened. The world is constantly appealing to the flesh, in opposition to the needs of the heart.

I believe Jesus Christ brings love and compassion to those whose hearts are open and ready to receive. Of course, many will fight against that 'softening' and vulnerability.

 

[firedragon]

I'm very happy to have the question asked of me. I'm also very happy to admit my sin, and my need of a Saviour from sin and death.

The reason I am able to ask others about sin is because I have experienced being 'broken'. It's not a question of claiming I'm 'holier than thou'.

Our hearts are the spiritual core of our being, and I believe that until we speak honestly about our spiritual needs we cannot hope to get close to God. The great thing about the testimonies on 'One for Israel' is that they convey honesty of Spirit.

It's understandable that people should be defensive about this aspect of life. The heart is what gets hurt when relationships fail, when evil is committed, and when abuse is experienced. Fast living, and power seeking ambition, seem to me to 'blanket' the heart, as do many other things.

I believe that there is a common thread running throughout humanity, which is a need for love. When this is absent then hearts become hardened. The world is constantly appealing to the flesh, in opposition to the needs of the heart.

I believe Jesus Christ brings love and compassion to those whose hearts are open and ready to receive. Of course, many will fight against that 'softening' and vulnerability.

I dont see the relevant nicesong. Cheers.

 

[Windwalker]

1 Samuel 16:7. 'But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.'

Wise words. I do wonder though why it is that so many Christians I have spoken with treat the heart as something to be feared, distrusted, and even disowned?

I have countless times encountered quotations of scripture saying "the heart is deceitfully wicked and should not be trusted," by Christians when challenged in their beliefs by asking questions such as, what does your heart tell you about this? Instead, they throw out the heart question, and cite scriptures from their heads as the all-important trump card over the heart. I find that response to be error.

To me, trusting what your heart tells you, is what it means to learn how to be led by God. But instead, many believers hide heart knowledge underneath their beliefs about God which originate in their heads, and their fears.

Do you think you're honest regarding the needs of your heart?

The more out of my head and into my heart I become through practice, the more natural it becomes to be authentic. But if we spend all our time in our heads, reasoning, analyzing, researching, etc, and less about being quiet and listening with the heart, then we become out of touch with our hearts and less authentic, or more inauthentic.

What causes us to become 'hard of heart'?

When we treat our heart as the enemy of the mind and distrust it. The result will be increased anxieties and fears as we don't know how to weather the challenges of life. We end up with little root or grounding. So instead we create all manner of "projects" to compensate for that, and essentially ignore the heart to the point it has no voice in our lives. That's one major way that happens.

Other ways are pain. Fear. Insecurity. Loss. etc. Like a wounded child left on its own, the heart goes into self-protection mode and snarls at life trying to keep it away from further harm. And there are of course other reasons as well, all of which are detrimental to our souls.

 

[ElishaElijah]

What I would say to this:

You are free to have your own opinion. So, I have no problem that you believe that "Jesus is the only way to God [eternal life] for you"

The moment you would impose your opinion as a fact on me, I would say:
1) You violate the RF Rule (#8 if I remember correctly)
2) You seat yourself on God's chair, called blasphemy

I do my best not to commit the first mistake, but the second one I try even harder to avoid
It's also called Spiritual Ego. The Scriptures warn us for this obstacle on the spiritual path

If this forum was around when Jesus Christ walked the Earth and He shared that statement that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, that no one comes to the Father except through Him, what would be done or said to Him by the moderators or participants?

 

[Windwalker]

If this forum was around when Jesus Christ walked the Earth and He shared that statement that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, that no one comes to the Father except through Him, what would be done or said to Him by the moderators or participants?

What a wonderful question. I would suppose, since he would, we assume, be speaking of deeply spiritual truths, it would be natural to assume he would be using metaphors to try to describe something beyond what normal words would fail to impart. Then he might be asked to explain further what he meant, and while it still might be above others' heads, that would not necessarily mean he saw himself, and himself alone as the only truth in the world.

If he did see himself that way, literally, then he would fall into the same pile as the others who appear on different forums announcing they are the 2nd coming of Christ, or similar. He would be viewed as having some form of mental illness, most likely. But if he was not being literal, and was speaking from a place of deep mystical insights, then "The Way, the Truth, and the Life", is referring to his "cosmic" or transcendent nature of the Divine. Something not exclusive to him and him alone, as the nature of God exists in all of us, even though most don't recognize or understand it.

 

[stvdv]

If this forum was around when Jesus Christ walked the Earth and He shared that statement that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, that no one comes to the Father except through Him, what would be done or said to Him by the moderators or participants?

Jesus would never say such a thing

 

[stvdv]

If this forum was around when Jesus Christ walked the Earth and He shared that statement that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, that no one comes to the Father except through Him, what would be done or said to Him by the moderators or participants?

Spoiler: IF we on RF already understand the importance of RF Rule#8, don't you think Jesus would understand/follow this Rule regarding utmost respect to a T?

8. Preaching/Proselytizing
Creating (or linking to) content intended to convert/recruit others to your religion, spirituality, sect/denomination, or lack thereof is not permitted. Similarly, attempting to convert others away from their religion, spiritual convictions, or sect/denomination will also be considered a form of preaching. Stating opinions as a definitive matter of fact (i.e., without "I believe/feel/think" language, and/or without references) may be moderated as preaching.

1. Personal Comments About Members and Staff
Personal attacks and name-calling, whether direct or in the third person, are strictly prohibited on the forums. Critique each other's ideas all you want, but under no circumstances personally attack each other or the staff. Quoting a member's post in a separate/new thread without their permission to challenge or belittle them, or harassing staff members for performing moderation duties, will also be considered a personal attack.

@stvdvRF

 

[ElishaElijah]

Jesus would never say such a thing

He did say that and also said if you’ve seen Him you’ve seen the Father.

 

[stvdv]

You misplaced your replied line accidentally. You put your reply within my quote. So, now it looks that what you wrote is written by me

For me not a problem this happened,because I do agree with what you said here

 

[ElishaElijah]

You misplaced your replied line accidentally. You put your reply within my quote. So, now it looks that what you wrote is written by me

For me not a problem this happened,because I do agree with what you said here

@stvdvRF

Yes and probably would receive a lot of warnings for sharing the Truth about Himself, He has a way of answering questions and making comments in a way that reveals the thoughts and motives of people.

 

[ElishaElijah]

You misplaced your replied line accidentally. You put your reply within my quote. So, now it looks that what you wrote is written by me

For me not a problem this happened,because I do agree with what you said here

Oops, Sorry, Thanks