neeeel still grouchin up the church. Husker is still cracking jokes. Believers like Dirty Doggg and Sorry Eddy getting by on little faith.

Standard.

By the way, it's important to communicate with God. Pray.

what do you mean , believe in jesus?

look to Jesus and pursue Him. so initially maybe Jesus is behind me and I'm walking away. then i turn my head slightly to the right and catch a slight view. then I slow my walk and turn my head a bit more. then i turn my body. then i got Jesus in focus and start walking towards Him.

In doing all this, I am turning away from other things...but my mind isn't hung up on what I'm turning away from...my mind is focused on what i am pursuing, Jesus.

Do I stay focused? No. Not even close. But I have learned...It is better to come when the Master calls instead of getting pulled in by the ear.

this is just bull**** gibberish. And does not even begin to answer my question.

Dear Neeeel,

How can you believe in Jesus? Right now, you can't. You must pray to Jesus or Call on the Lord. (See Post #49). Try to pray -- this will open the doors of faith. Not much is understandable to you right now. You are in the beginning stage now. Did you see the movie, "The Matrix"? I can only show you the door. You must be the one to walk through it. Pray!!

Sincerely,
Super Eddy

What does this mean, believe in jesus?

God: Love

Open your Bibles to John Chapter 13

-Jesus being all-knowing (being God) knows that His time is coming. He's pointing out which of His disciples are going to do what with accuracy. Judas will betray Him. Peter will deny Him three times. During this time, which must be troubling, He demonstrates something for us all though: doing something for others, considering others higher than yourself, etc. Then He commands a new commandment: Love one another.

-Jesus is God. Jesus has the right to avoid the earthly death. Jesus has the right and power to stop Judas. Jesus has the ability to make any number of things happen that would result in any number of events...other than His own death. BUT, He does His Father's will. He moves forward, sacrificing Himself, demonstrating love to men...men that don't love Him back with the same intensity or commitment.

-So, what does this all mean? I think...I think it means we can take our minds off ourselves. We can consider others and their needs FOR the purpose of revealing God to them.

Dear Neeeel,

Jesus is the human embodiment of God. Jesus is the Son of God and is also God. Jesus died on the cross to save us (you and me) from our sins and reconcile us to God. The nature of God is in three parts: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the source of all things. Jesus the Son is the interface between God the Father and the human race. He is also the sum total of what humanity can know about God. The Holy Spirit (if you are saved) indwells us and fills us with the nature of God.

Do you believe that Jesus is real? Do you believe that God is real? Are you saved? If you can answer "yes" to each of these questions, you believe in Jesus.

Sincerely,
Super Eddy

Dear Neeeel,

The number or lack of it is a joke. You don't need a number to call on the Lord. See Post #49. The Book is the Holy Bible. You don't need the Bible to call on the Lord.

Sincerely,
Super Eddy

So believing in jesus is a requirement of being saved, but being saved is also a requirement of believing in jesus?

Out of interest, are you saved?

Dear Neeeel,

Yes, I am saved. I took the first step in 1984 by praying to the Lord Jesus. If you are to be saved, you must pray to Him too. There are no substitutes and now "the ball is in your court" and you must pray. You are like Neo in the movie "The Matrix". You are completely blind to the fact of the matrix and reality. Prayer will open your eyes -- You will see true reality!

Sincerely,
Super Eddy

God: Through Jesus With Help

Open your Bibles to John Chapter 14

-"...believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."...“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." Yea!! I'm pretty excited about this!!

-"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."

-"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."..."But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." Yea!!! Thanks!

-“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Okay!

-So, what does this all mean? ... ...Ship IT!!!

Citi, when did you take the first step to being saved?
(I wonder if the answer would also be 1984)

God: Good & Hated

Open your Bibles to John Chapter 15

-Jesus talks about the benefits of "abiding" in Him, keeping His commandments, etcetera. Those benefits include joy, "full" joy. That's a good thing.

-Jesus also talks about what to expect from the world: hatred. The reason being is that we are chosen "out of this world"; we aren't a part of it. Full joy isn't dependent on being loved by the world.

-So, what does this all mean? I'm thinking of a practical response to the first part of this chapter. What can I actually do? For me, reading the Bible, prayer, giving thought to the life of Jesus, being open minded to increasing levels of obedience,...you know. I mean, it boils down to whether or not or how much I believe that being in a position to be more and more useful to God actually gives me "full joy". I mean, if God wasn't offering good things, then I wouldn't pursue Him at all. As far as the second part of the chapter...I don't really care (I think???).

Idk...always believed I guess.

I'm not Super Eddy if that's what you're wondering. I know him irl though and told him about the thread shortly after I started it.

Hi Citi, I thought Table 23 would like to hear some passages from the Quran. Every now and again I may drop a passage from the Quran.


The Holy Quran : Chapter 1: Al-Fatihah الفَاتِحَة

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.


I would also like to take this opportunity to showcase the religion of Hinduism to Table 23. From The Rig Veda (Vedas are textual sources of Hinduism)

The Rig Veda, Book 1, HYMN. I

Agni.

1 I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice,
The hotar, lavishest of wealth.
2 Worthy is Agni to be praised by living as by ancient seers.
He shall bring hitherward the Gods.
3 Through Agni man obtaineth wealth, yea, plenty waxing day by day,
Most rich in heroes, glorious.
4 Agni, the perfect sacrifice which thou encompassest about
Verily goeth to the Gods.
5 May Agni, sapient-minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great,
The God, come hither with the Gods.
6 Whatever blessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshipper,
That, Aṅgiras, is indeed thy truth.
7 To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with prayer
Bringing thee reverence, we come
8 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One,
Increasing in thine own abode.
9 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son:
Agni, be with us for our weal.

God: In Control

Open your Bibles to John Chapter 16

-Christians are not part of this temporary world. We are not of this world. This world will give us trouble...of all sorts. The world is completely blind and confused about who Jesus (God) is. "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God." If you were tempted to deal with it all yourself...there is no need: "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth..."..."Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you." You are taken care of by God. Also, God will take care of the non-believers: "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin"

-Jesus, alone, is in complete control: "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

-So, what does this all mean? It means Jesus is the absolute supreme leader who has everything figured out perfectly. It means we as believers must look to Jesus for help. We are not powerful in and of ourselves. {Please God, help us.}

Just wanted to remind you Christians about a few verses that came to my mind recently...John 27-30..."My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Be thankful. Be thankful that we hear. Be thankful that we are in God's hands.

...and one more thing. Like Super Eddy says, pray. Pray often.

The Quran also says, "He is surely a blasphemer who calls Jesus God or the Son of God" Therefore, it is impossible to reconcile Christianity with Islam.

Sincerely,
Super Eddy

How do I request a table change in this place?

Super Eddy, before I can comment on your above post,

knowing that Abraham is an important person to Muslims, Jews, and Christians, Would you also say its impossible to reconcile Christianity with Judaism?

God: His Own

Open your Bibles to John Chapter 17

-Prior to the world there was God. God created everything to bring glory to Himself. It pleases Him. God knows who His followers are even before the creation of the world. God reveals to His followers Himself and allows them to share in His glory. He uses His word to draw believers in. It's His glory. It's His creation. It's His work. It's His people that can share it all with Him through Jesus.

-So, what does this all mean? ...Be thankful if you hear. Pray for fellow believers to follow Jesus with strong commitment. If you do not believe, pray that God would open your eyes.

So if you don't believe then you've to pray to the thing you don't believe in to open your eyes

Judaism is the Old Covenant but it also shows "types" of Christ or shadows of Christ. Jesus was Jewish and He had to be Jewish to give meaning to the things He did to bring in the New Covenant. It is possible to be saved as a Jew but you have to obey the Law without fault -- but no one can do that.

Islam is in essence "Judaism for Arabs". It is not a true faith that connects with Judaism and Christianity although they share the tie to Abraham. Islam rejects the concept that Jesus is God and therefore is a false religion.

Sincerely,
Super Eddy