Hello all, retired military with a special needs daughter that makes it difficult for me to attend church and bible studies in person on a regular basis. I read my bible regularly but want to ensure I am receiving the correct messages. I have listened to several online bible study programs that have given very helpful background information on the cultures but what I have received from my readings is very different than what seems to be the prevailing opinions (especially concerning the Old Testament) so I would like to get other's opinions (not just a scripted study).
Introduction - TishnTexas
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First, thanks for your service. Second, can you ask about things more specifically. What are you currently studying? What topics do you want elaborated upon?
For example, when I spoke to several local pastors and mentioned the Old Testament, they immediately started by implying the Old Testament was when God was angry and stern. When I read the Old Testament, I get the impression God was VERY loving, forgiving, and heart hurt. He reached out his hand over and over even when we (mankind) turned our backs to Him, betrayed Him, and disrespected Him. How could I ask for spiritual guidance from someone (a pastor) who so totally misinterpreted God's word? Or am I the one that has misinterpreted God's word?
See I don't see that. Look how many times Abraham, Jacob, and even David messed up big time and yet God still affirms his convent with them each time. Look how the Israelites worshipped other idols in the good times God gave them but then would run to God for forgiveness in troubled times. Only for them to turn to the idols the minute the trouble eased. What does God do? He tries to warn them with His prophets, and they kill the prophets. God's actions don't sound angry, stern or even judgmental. Throughout the Old and New Testament and to this day God has shown us the parable "Forgive 70x70" over and over again.
What about all the other nations? What about the nations God had his people destroy? What about all the Israelites who died in the desert?
While there were certain people who God certainly set His affection upon and to whom He extended great grace, others did not find the same treatment. What do you suppose accounts for the difference?
None of us know it all, so I don't like to presume about people who I don't know. However, I have interacted with a lot of pastors who hold to a view that is similar to your experiences. If your experience with them is similar to mine in many cases, you rightly judged the pastors to either be ignorant (without adequate knowledge) of the Bible to rightly understand and teach the Bible. In that case they are incompetent and unfit to represent the Lord in that ministry.
On the other hand, If they know the Bible, but choose to misrepresent the Lord, then they are wicked and not worthy of your time, especially since they wilfully mislead. Jesus rebuked those kind of Jewish preachers while on earth. His disciples warned against them in the Epistles.
God's attributes are demonstrated and described in detail from Genesis to Revelation. God is often gracious, expressing love, mercy and kindness to His people. When they do things that anger Him, like worship the Devil, He expressed His wrath. He's not inclined to show His Loving kindness to those who disregard Him to sacrifice children to the Devil any more than a parent would if some wicked person did this to their own family. You will find fake preachers who twist the Scriptures both ways.
Here is a very clear OT passage from Exodus 34 where you see the attributes of the righteous, holy, merciful God that is the same in the NT.
"4And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. 5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty...
14For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; 16And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods."
Matthew 7:21-23 God does not know those kind of preachers, so you need to pray and seek out someone who will provide spiritual food for you and your daughter while leading others To Christ.< I believe He will guide you just as He led me to those verses in Exodus 34 just now. It sounds like you are already beginning that search.
May He fill your heart's desire.
Hi TishnTexas, You have the same birthday as my son and he also is very thoughtful, welcome!!! I tend to agree with you, God is love and I think the same as you. He put up with a lot from idol worship in His face to unbelief as in taking over the Promised Land. He also has a very strict side as in not touching the Arc (instant death
) and esp when His anointed got out of line(David and Moses). That's exactly why we are blest with an Intercessor Jesus and can go before God in His name not ours. Lovely to have you here, ty for your service and God bless you and yours always
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) and esp when His anointed got out of line(David and Moses). That's exactly why we are blest with an Intercessor Jesus and can go before God in His name not ours. Lovely to have you here, ty for your service and God bless you and yours always✝
I like the way you see things. And I couldn't agree with you more. God is god of love in the Old Testament to absolutely. Full of mercy, full of grace. If people are reading the psalms of David, then they know for sure have a loving God is slow to anger and abounding, love and mercy. I love reading the Old Testament and seeing Jesus is all through it more on this later peace to you sister, so glad you joined. Look forward to hearing more.
I was listening to the news concerning RFKJ and thought about you and your daughter.
This< might be of interest.
Last week he revealed vaccine damage used to be 1 in 20,000.
Now it's 1 in 12 and a half in boys! I'm glad this is finally getting attention in the political realm.
Welcome to Christian Chat.
It's actually funny you should mention the Arc. I have often wondered about that. Instant death was what Adam and Eve expected when they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. It would have been so easy for God to remove them and form a new man (and subsequently woman) but he didn't do that. He gave them the opportunity to repent and ask for forgiveness (as he does all mankind today still because we never learn). Yet with the Arc, someone with good intentions touched it and poof, instant death. I believe this is God telling us that even if our intentions are pure, a sin is still a sin (i.e. stealing to feed a hungry person, lying to spare someone's feelings). What are your thoughts?Hi TishnTexas, You have the same birthday as my son and he also is very thoughtful, welcome!!! I tend to agree with you, God is love and I think the same as you. He put up with a lot from idol worship in His face to unbelief as in taking over the Promised Land. He also has a very strict side as in not touching the Arc (instant death
If you let your daughter read a good english translation, I think she would do very well on her own.
I myself am someone who was diagnosed with aspergers when I was little. My parents hardly did anything to secure me in the ways of God, didn't stop me when I declared myself an athiest to them when I was 12, and to this day don't regard the word as highly as they aught to.
But one day I picked up a bible, started reading it cover-to-cover like any other book, understood the perpetuality of Gods mercy and salvation before I even got to the Gospels, and was entrenched in the word. I don't even attend church or follow any preachers, but I know that God is with me and he keeps his word in my mind.
Doesn't it say that the nations God's people destroyed held great wickedness much like Sodom and Gomorrah and that to let them live was to spread the wickedness across the world. In fact, there were several nations that weren't destroyed and allowed to live among the Israelites (Jebusites, Canaanites, etc) and they did in fact corrupt the Israelites by introducing idol worship and sexual promiscuity and deviancy. We may not understand God's direction but that doesn't mean we should not obey it. He only wants good for us and knows far more (both past/present/future) than we can or will ever see. About Sodom and Gomorrah, keep in mind if 10 righteous people in the entire town had been found, God would have spared it. Think about that for a moment. There weren't even 10 people in the entire town to save it. As for the Israelites that died in the desert, these people didn't require faith because they had seen with their own eyes the mighty powers of God. Had seen him do amazing things and yet they still turned to idols the first chance they got. Only through Moses' pleas was God consoled. Moses who they conspired against and challenged at every turn. God fed them from his table (manna) every day and they complained there wasn't enough variety. To me they sounded like your typical teenager that nothing is ever enough and complains about constantly. I had two teenagers (my daughter has the mentality of a 3 year old so I don't count her) and while I loved them with all my heart and was so proud of them, most days I wanted to hogtie, gag them, and stuff them in a closet. I do want to state though I named the Israelites, I feel that it should be mankind because we still behave this way (as a whole) today.
Thank you but for a little clarification: my daughter was actually stillborn (the OBGYN called her death). But through God's grace, He encouraged the pediatrician to snatch her out of his (OBGYN) hands and told him his patient was on the table (me) and not to call her patient's (the pediatrician's) death. It took 5 minutes of CPR to get a heartbeat and another 8 minutes to get my daughter breathing on her own. The 15 (or so) minutes without enough oxygen caused my daughter mental delayment so though she is 35, she has the mentality of a 3 year old. You are correct though that she should be exposed so when she is not in extreme pain (she recently required 2 hip replacements due to a fall) she sits beside me in church (hears the word of God but doesn't understand it).
"Spiritual guidance" is precisely what many cannot fathom as being instrumental
in one's walk with God. Worldliness will leave one with unlimited confusion. To gather an audience
many go to great lengths to intimidate the reader.
'Beware of the false ones that are prevalent on Christian sites.
All those people were no different any of those God set His affection upon. Abraham was a heathen before God made Himself known to Him. Did Noah not find grace in the eyes of the Lord? David was an adulterer and murderer. Apart from grace, are these any less deserving of wrath?
The truth is, we all deserve what those who perish get. Thankfully, God has come to us in grace and mercy and spared us.
I completely agree with you. It breaks my heart how we continually sin (myself most of all) against God when all he does is love us and bestow blessing upon blessing to us. Hopefully enough of us are praying for his mercy and 10 righteous souls are found so His word can continue to be spread so ALL the rooms in His house are filled.
I think the more we know the more we're responsible for. I imagine with the Arc, the fellow should have been terrified oftouching it but sadly slipped his mind. Then we have Abraham pleading with God to save the righteous in Sodom & Gomorrah and God listened. God is Love and that's why He sent us the Lamb that will take our sins, all we have to do is ask. See you around the Forums Tish
, gnite