I was just thinking about how difficult it has been drawing people’s attention to the NonChristian forums. You’ve done a lot over the years to make that happen.
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I was just thinking about how difficult it has been drawing people’s attention to the NonChristian forums. You’ve done a lot over the years to make that happen.
Well, we are at the bottom of the forum. Even though it takes a bit of scrolling to get here, you'd think Christians would visit just out of boredom. Or curiosity.
That puts it at the top of the forum for me. It‘s the people in the NonChristian Forums who I most want to speak with here.
You’ve started many threads and have 2,240 posts in the forums which I think of as, and call, “the shadowland“. You’ve drawn members - and people who read but haven’t become members - to this area of the Board for almost four years now.
Indeed. You'd think this would be therr busiest part of the forum. Christians are commanded to share the good news and interact with non-Christians as much as possible.
But they don't. Instead they choose only to mingle with each other. They sure do love preaching to the choir.
Nameaboveallnames
Active Member
Hi, 2bme.
Personally, I do not believe that many of our present thoughts were initially our own thoughts. Please allow me to explain. While writing to the saints at Corinth, the Apostle Paul said:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Cor. 10:3-6)
Paul said that our warfare is not after the flesh, nor are the weapons of our warfare carnal in nature. Instead, whether we actively realize it or not, we are all engaged in spiritual warfare, and the only way to win that battle is with spiritual weapons because we are literally fighting against (or just submitting to) spirit beings or demonic forces. With this reality in mind, Paul spoke of our need for spiritual weaponry in relation to imaginations, knowledge, and thoughts. In other words, the battle that rages in our minds is spiritual in nature.
While writing to the saints at Ephesus, Paul admonished them to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Eph. 4:23).
"The SPIRIT of your mind?"
Yes, "the SPIRIT of your mind."
Think of the word "inspiration:"
Search 'inspiration' on etymonline
Search results for 'inspiration' on etymonline
inspiration (n.)
c. 1300, "immediate influence of God or a god," especially that under which the holy books were written, from Old French inspiracion "inhaling, breathing in; inspiration" (13c.), from Late Latin inspirationem (nominative inspiratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin inspirare "blow into, breathe upon," figuratively "inspire, excite, inflame," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)).
When something is "inspired," it is literally "spirit-breathed" or "spirit-influenced."
Did you ever see one of those cartoons when you were a child where an angel is above one of a man's shoulders and a devil or demon is above the other shoulder?
That is pretty close to how this world actually works, but it would be the Holy Spirit whispering in one ear and a demon whispering in the other. Whichever we choose to yield to, that will be the Spirit/spirit that seeks to control our thought lives and, subsequently, influence our actions.
In Jesus' case, he never yielded to any spirit other than the Holy Spirit, so his thought life remained pure.
In our cases?
Well, I think we all know how that goes.
The good news is that our minds can truly be liberated from any demonic bondage or influence through Christ.
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You know what they’re supposed to do and you’ve made the observation that they aren’t doing it. There is a disconnect.
A word of caution. We have to guard against overgeneralizing. There are exceptions. My advice is to look for the exceptions; look for those who are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
Internet discussion forums have a notorious reputation and can leave us with a false perception. The vast majority of Christians don’t participate in them and, often, are utterly disappointed in and appalled by them.
Encouraging one another is a good thing for them to do.
Have you noticed arrows at the far right edges of each of the forums? You can click on the arrows to hide the forums, or make them visible. What goes on in the “Christians Only” forums is largely zealous sectarian warfare. (Again, we have to guard against overgeneralizing and watch for the exceptions.) I usually have all of their forums visible but occasionally I hide them, leaving only the forums “Other Faith” members are allowed to post and react in visible. I grow weary of watching them devour one another. (If they’re going to insist on doing it, they should do it there, not here.)
Do you really want the sectarian warring that goes on “down” there going on “up” here?
The shadowland has advantages and disadvantages.
I did not know this. No more scrolling then. My index finger thanks you.
Certainly not. All of the infighting among Christians is exhausting. But they seem to live for it.
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Big Boy Johnson
Well-Known Member
You need to get a Bible!
Yes, your father the devil sent you here to try and deceive people in to believing he isn't real.
We know this since you are one of those gnostics that works in agriculture that calls themselves agnostics
You job is shoveling poo!
You're gonna get fat!
Better start exercising
In other words, throw God's Word in the trash and believe what the devil's servant says.
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Brakelite
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She had a choice as to who to believe... God or the serpent. At the time, she didn't know the serpent was the devil. Just this fascinating talking likely beautiful creature hanging out in a tree she should have never gone near. She chose to believe the serpent and not believe God. She chose to believe the lie that said she would become something she wasn't...and find greater fulfilment, as if God was holding something back which was in her better interest to take for herself. That scenario is still being repeated everyday in all our thought processes. Do we trust God or do we have to take or do things for ourselves to be content.
I disagree. The fall was instigated by Eve's unbelief. Her distrust. Her lack of faith in God's promises.
The temptation for Jesus was exactly what takes place in our own lives, but on a grander scale and more intensive manner for Jesus than we will ever have to experience. Jesus had spent 40 days fasting in the desert. He was hungry. Hot. Dirty. Tired. Emaciated. Weak. The last words He heard were His Father's... You are My Son... At His baptism. In contrast, here is a bright angelic being with apparent majesty and promising the world, and the ability to transport Jesus to other places saying, if you are the Son of God...prove it. If Jesus had lifted one finger to prove it, He would have been expressing doubt in His own Father's word. And therefore sinned. Same as Eve. Same as you and I have to face every day. Satan, if anything, is consistent. But with little imagination, because he's so unoriginal. However, his tactic works. Doesn't it.
I lost 100lbs a few years ago by going low carb and walking everyday. But donuts are a nice treat every now and then. You gotta live a little.You're gonna get fat!
Better start exercising
Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, but did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).
He is the ideal man; he is what man was created by God to be but isn’t.
But isn't what? I love the idea of Jesus. I really do. He got wacked because of people like us today.
Why do we have to be the ideal man? What is with this obsession with purity? If you give a man free will, he will naturally exercise it. To punish him for this seems illogical.
We don’t. We can be as unideal as we want to be. Or, we can become like Jesus.
What is with this obsession with impurity?
That’s right. Exercise it wisely. Or unwisely.
What does rewarding him for this seem to you?
But we'll never be like Jesus. He was a divine being. We are but mortals.
You're dodging the question. I asked you first.
By upholding the idea of free will. Of choice. For example, why can't non-believers also go to heaven? I mean, my goodness. Since when is disbelief a crime worthy of eternal punishment or permanent death?
At the very least, I think God should just leave these people alone. There's no need to punish them. He's God. Create a realm where the non-believers can live in peace.
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