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Faith Bible Ministries Blog ~ An Online Study of the Bible 
Does being blessed always mean we are happy? Is there scripture that does or does not support this? Blessed sounds like we should be happy, doesnt it?
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(Updated 01/30/11 @ 12:30 CDT)
Nonni,
That is an excellent question, and since I am dealing with insomnia tonight, I think I’ll take a stab at it.
I’m going to address the Greek meaning of this word. The word “blessed” as used in the famous sermon on the Mount passage of Matthew chapter 5, is the Greek word: makários (G3107); fem. makaría, neut. makárion, adj.
According to Spiro Zodhiates (one of the most prominent Greek translators, who is Greek himself; yet more importantly is that Spiro is an individual I admire and respect as a believer), states concerning this word:
A prose form of the poetic mákar (n.f.), blessed one. Blessed, possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God. It indicates the state of the believer in Christ (Mat_5:3-11, “Blessed . . . for my sake”; Luk_6:20-22, “Blessed . . . for the Son of man’s sake”), said of one who becomes a partaker of God’s nature through faith in Christ (2Pe_1:4). The believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit because of Christ and as a result should be fully satisfied no matter the circumstances. Makários differs from the word “happy” in that the person is happy who has good luck (from the root hap meaning luck as a favorable circumstance). To be makários, blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within one’s heart (Mat_5:3, Mat_5:10). Aristotle contrasts makários to endeés (G1729), the needy one. Makários is the one who is in the world yet independent of the world. His satisfaction comes from God and not from favorable circumstances.
Deriv.: makarízō (G3106), to declare blessed.
Syn.: eulogētós (G2128), blessed, well-spoken of; eulogēménos, blessed; eulogéō (G2127), to eulogize, bless, thank.
No Ant.: talaípōros (G5005), miserable, wretched; eleeinós (G1652), pitiable, miserable.
We see from this treatment of the word “bless” that it is not necessarily synonymous with the word “happy,” as many well-intentioned teachers state. You see Nonni, wherein in the English translation of the word “bless,” we don’t understand that this translation comes from different Greek words which have different meanings than the singular meaning it has in the English, which would seem to coincide at least with the idea of being happy, or prosperous. However, the Greek words for “bless” are diverse, having different meanings.
As is seen above, the word that is used primarily in the in the book of Matthew concerning the word “bless,” has more to do with the aspect of being satisfied or content, which is actually much more important than being happy.
If you take our English word: “happy,” you must understand that it is a derivative of the word “happen,” or “happening.” The word happy has to do with outside circumstance, the things that happened to us that make us feel really good, from the outside which is quite different than the biblical word for “joy,” which is derived from an inward satisfaction and contentment that is not temporary.
By its very makeup to be happy is a temporary state based upon outward conditions whereas joy is a permanent status of inward contentment that is much more profitable than temporary happiness based on the outside conditions of things or people around us.(
By no means am I stating that God would have us be miserable – He loves His children and desires us to have inward joy, as well as outward happiness in life, yet never if they disqualify His training that He’s putting us through, which can be hard to take; or for those that live for these worldly pleasures. He wants to be loved for Himself, not what he can give people).
There is a another Greek translator by the name of Thayer who many teachers use in Bible translation. Thayer connects happiness with blessedness quite often unfortunately. However, I don’t trust Thayer anymore because I have found out that he was not a true Christian. He did not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the atoning work of the death of Jesus Christ for our salvation, he did not hold that the Bible was inspired word of God, the Trinity, or what we would call salvation by faith alone in Christ, according to his own writings. There are many times that Thayer does a good job of translating; yet when it comes to important issues I don’t trust him how can we trust somebody that doesn’t believe that Jesus is God, when he’s translating words that deal with Christ; any more than we can trust when he translates a word like blessed, wherein many Christian translators go the extra mile and defined a different Greek words which have different meanings, which Thayer doesn’t do. He’s lazy many times and gives one translation for an English word, which has multiple Greek words but minded with diverse meanings. I’m telling you this because there’s a lot of well-meaning people that will tell you that bless, means to be happy in its based upon Thayer’s work, which is an error. This is why I am giving you the names of the translators I’m using, because this stuff is important – and if somebody disagrees with what I’m saying, you can at least tell them what the source is.
Concerning other Greek words which are translated into the English word “bless,” or “blessed;” Spiro Zodhiates, points out the fact that in the book of the Hebrew, the word has to do more with “speaking well of somebody,” or “giving someone praise.” The book of Mark uses this same Greek word, which holds the same meaning. The book of Luke uses both of the above-mentioned definition of the word.
Now there is a Greek word which has to more to do with happiness, it is the Greek word: Makarismos (G3108) [I am listing the numbers of the word so that you can personally look them up if you have a strong screen concordance, or a nether type of “word study” or dictionary – on the teaching website, on page part 1 of the “something to think about” page: which is entitled: “Rightly Dividing the Word of God” there is a listing of biblical resources that you can use to defined words as I have. I go into a breakdown of the grammar, parsing the verbs and nouns which is more difficult, yet yields much more insight – this you won’t be able to do with almost all Christian resources, without studing the Greek first. However you can validate what I’ve said above – which is what Spiro has writen with any of the Bible dictionaries, lexicons, or other Biblical helps or resources].
This particular Greek word, Makarismos is used in the following versus, which will help you to understand when the Bible is talking about been fortunate, which can be – but not always referring to happiness, concerning things that happen to us – and more about what you're talking about.
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness [G3108] of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,” (Rom 4:6)
“Cometh this blessedness [G3108] then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.” (Rom 4:9)
“Where is then the blessedness [G3108] ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” (Gal 4:15)
Do you see how there is only a few Scriptures in the New Testament (there are more than just these) which use the word “bless” as in “happiness,” this type of expression which deals with the outward circumstance we find ourselves within. A large majority of the passages use the first used above for “bless” in the NT, which concerns “joy,” rather than the word for happiness.
There are other places that randomly use another word which is translated into the English word bless, different than the 3 above which would mean happiness such as: Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8.
Now enough of the technical side, let me speak as a counselor and attempt to answer what I believe is the heart of your question.
Man was not created specifically to be happy. Man was created to glorify God, and sometimes we glorify God by enduring hardship and going through hard times. I don’t like this, but it’s the truth there are many preachers out there that say that man was made to be fulfilled, yet there is no Scripture for it. There’s many preachers out there that say that man was made for fellowship with God, and there are Scriptures which support this idea; yet not as the primary reason for man’s creation, but one which profits both God and man.
In Isaiah 43:7, we see why God created man.
“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isa 43:7)
This seems very narcissistic of God, making something for Himself, to glorify Himself; but even asking this question is really ridiculous because God is God because He’s the boss, not because He fits into our pre-determined definition of what God is. We are lucky that He’s a loving righteous God. God is God because of power, not because of love and not because of righteousness.
These are attributes that God has, but they do not give Him the power to do what only God can do.
Yet, this is where we build our faith because it is His power to take care of us, to fulfill the kind of blessing He wants for us – that of joy. That internal feeling of contentment to know that we are loved and appreciated, not because we deserve it. But because of who He is. You see there are times in my life where I don’t deserve anyone’s love – yet God still loves me. When everyone else has forsake me, God is still there. This is the kind of contentment, the inward joy; which is much more valuable than outward happiness.
Happiness will come and go, but joy is a lifetime fulfillment. We glorify God by trusting Him, by having faith in Him; and we can do this because He has the power to protect us, to take care of us. Yet, there are times where people died serving Him, where they are burned at the stake. So the question is where is the joy in that, where is the happiness in that.
You see, if all we do is keep our eyes upon this earthly existence, this 70 years on this dry ground – then no, I guess we are not always happy.
But if we really believed that we were made by God and are therefore eternal, and we put our eyes on tomorrow, on eternity, this is where we receive our joy, even amongst the tears of what happens around us and to us. There are many times that because of my own bad choices, I am unhappy; yet it is joy to know that there is one who I cannot see, who always loves me even when it doesn’t feel like it; who will be there on the other side of death’s door to welcome me as His child – this is why we must spend time in God’s Word to remind us of these facts.
The hell that you may be going through right now, in most cases is temporary; though temporary can be years. And please understand I’m not being unfeeling, the Bible says that God catches every one of your tears in a bottle (Psalms 56:8). He does this because your tears have value to Him, He does not take your suffering for granted, yet He always sees the big picture – eternity.
There are valleys, and their or mountain tops that we will experience in our walk with Him, in our lives. The valley is dusty and dry, such as where Moses spent 40 years being re-trained; after having spent 40 years in luxury and happiness. During this second 40 years he led around a bunch of dumb sheep, according to his prior training sheep were defiled, ignorant, smelly, animals. However, it was for God’s glory that Moses would lead the children of Israel, yet he would never have been prepared if he would never went through the misery of that second 40 years in the valley desert.
Moses had the first 40 years in luxury and happiness, the second 40 years in the desert learning to be a shepherd; and the last 40 years doing the work of a shepherd – all for God’s glory, trusting and having faith in God to do the unbelievable. You know where Moses died, on top of the mountain, overlooking the promise land – which he could not inner.
Do you know why it’s important to understand that there are mountains, as well as valleys that we go through. Psalms talks about the blessedness of the mountain deer, who have an extra due claw for climbing high mountain ranges. The reason why mountaintops are so important (Eden was on a mountaintop, Jesus always went and prayed at mountaintops, mountaintops have always been a place that God would meet man – Nimrod tried to build HIS OWN mountain to God, Babel), the reason why mountains are important is that mountaintops give us a perspective of things we normally don’t see – it is a closer view of what God see’s.
As a teenager, I used to go to a Christian winter and summer camp, and I would have such a spiritual experience, it was great. However, as is the case in most Christian summer camp’s, once I got back down to the valley, the spiritual things would seem to wear off, and I would become unspiritual, self-serving, and dry. It was the mountaintop that was always invigorating, it is the mountain top that God lets us visit in order to see what He would have us to see, to give us perspective. Isn’t it amazing that when Lucifer tempted Christ, where did he take Him – up high, on the Temple pillar, and on a mountaintop.
Nonni, I’m sorry if you are going through a dry desert right now. However, even in the desert God will supply pools of water, oasis.’ God has not promised to take us out of valleys, but to be with us as we go through them (Psa. 23:1-6). This is where the joy comes in. I know these words seemed comfortless, but it is in seeking God that you will grow in joy, even if what happens to you seems to strip you of that happiness, He is still there with you in the “valley of the shadow of death.” Yet. we must remember that we receive joy by being in Christ, and in His Word.
I’m going to leave you with some Scriptures which speak about faith wherein prayers are answered in some cases, and also where in faith some prayers were not answered. However, the conclusion of the author of the book of Hebrews is that even though some did not receive what they had desired, it was their faith that got them into eternity with God, beyond what was happening around them.
I pray that God gives you happiness, as well as the joy. Your brother in Christ, Brent
“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Heb 11:32-40)
However, I think it would be better if I leave you with this:
“A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psa 23:1-6)
Brent
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Thanks Brent, I once heard someone ask this question, but I have never heard anyone answer it, nor have I ever heard a sermon on it.
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Nonni,
(Updated ~ 01/31/2011 @ 12:35 CDT)
Believe it or not this is the longest response I’ve ever written. It may seem like a harsh answer, but it is never something I would ever present cavalierly, or sternly.
Of A Personal Note:
Time does not permit for me to speak more fully of the unhappiness that I have felt during my life. Of fighting bone-marrow disease, having surgery to remove cancer, of chronic back pain where they wanted to do fusions (a miracle in which I was healed, some day I will talk about it – to God’s glory), the loss of the child to SIDS, the experiential knowledge of what true isolation and confinement can do to the human soul. The loss of so many relationships, and the knowledge that many of these losses were because of my own selfish choices to engage in my own addictions, which is simply self-centeredness. It is much easier when we can blame others for our grief.
I mention some of this to my shame, yet I present these personal and private sorrows, pains and tribulation for a reason. It is because presenting the above teaching concerning the hardship that can happen to the believer has personally caused me much pain. Those false prophets that present what is termed incorrectly as “Word of Faith” doctrine do so in great comfort because they receive the benefit on a personal level of those followers that would give them money. The lie that they present is that, their message is not based upon their needs or their profit; but that the message is meant to the still a blessing upon the giver.
This is a doctrine straight from the pit of hell, which teaches people to be presumptuous concerning God, making God a servant rather than the master. They say it is heretical to ask anything of God according to his will. They say that God is already pronounced in his word that they can have what they asked for, and not doing so is a lack of faith.
They also teach that if you do not receive what you asked for it is because you have not exercised faith. This presumptuous self-serving heresy, is an easy message for the false prophets to teach because they personally enjoy its benefit. I have presented some of my personal tragedies, so that I can speak from a place of experience concerning the cost of this message.
Yet, the benefit of the message is much greater than its cost. To have a relationship with Jesus Christ wherein I understand, and fully believe; that God is in 100 percent control of my life, even if evil things happen. This is what biblical faith is, it is a relationship contingent upon the foundation of trust, it holds confidence in what is believed to the extent of motivating changing behavior.
What these false prophets do is teach people to believe in what they see, without the confidence based upon God’s Word to change their behavior because of what is believed changes their perception in their life. This is why it is so important that the child of God understands that during their maturing in their walk with God, that it is not going be an easy life. If this was not so that Jesus would have stated in Matthew 7:15:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Mat 7:13-15)
One thing to also note about this passage, which speaks about “few there be that find it” in reference to how few people will actually be saved. If the message was easy, and salvation entails nothing but gaining prosperity, health, and happiness; then these words are in vain.
It should also be noticed that concerning how few obtain salvation that Jesus’ next statement is a warning concerning false prophets that come in as wolves in sheep’s clothing. He connects the idea that the majority will follow these false teachers that act like sheep into destruction – but why. Some would postulate that is because the false teachers teach nothing but prosperity and blessing which the masses love to hear, whereas true believers, who are few; understand that becoming a Christian is not a user-friendly situation. Which is why Christ also says that his followers must lose their own life for his sake, in order to inner into the narrow gate; as recorded in Matthew 10:34-39, which states:
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Mat 10:34-39)
How many goodhearted Christians attempt to witness by talking about how great it will be to be a Christian, and it will but in eternity; but not on this earth. They don’t even realize that they feed right into the false prophets narrative concerning becoming a Christian leads to prosperity, health, and wealth.
However, I will not leave you with just what seems to be negative; but what is the real blessedness which you ask about. It is the blessing of being children of God wherein we can trust Him even if He allows calamity, because He won’t never forsake us; even if that’s what it appears. Romans 8:31-39 are amongst the most valuable statements in the Bible for the child of God, which state:
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:31-39)
I understand that your question may only be a curious question, but I also know that many times questions are seated in the experience one is going through. My prayers are that if you are, you will experience an oasis from your troubles.
Brent
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Brent, I have just finished reading your response, all I can say is wow…youve given me much to think about, to re-read….and ponder again in the morning…I think this will be my Sunday. Thank You….This was a curious question…but after reading your response, I can see how many of the things you responded with fit so perfectly within the confines of my life. So much is going on right now, and I am struggling with health issues, family issues, and other issues. I trusly appreciate you taking the time to research this lengthy response…I hope you get some rest my friend. Nonni God Bless You.
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Hello, thank you for your work. I am writing a long historical story which has as its foundation the ministry of Christ. I need an image of Christ before Pilate, the one on your page is quite good— would it be ok to incorporate it if I gave credit to your site?
Thanks,
John Doba
Houston TX
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John,
Yes. You can copy anything we present (no need for credit on pictures). I am emailing you a better copy.
bb
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Utterly pent content, thank you for selective information. “You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it.” by Samuel Butler.
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Hi there, I want to subscribe for this blog to take hottest updates, so where can i do it please help.
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Shirely,
The subscription is located on the right side, a short ways down.
bb
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Woh I like your articles , bookmarked ! .
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Thresa,
Thanks.
bb
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Melvin,
Have to think about that quote.
bb
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Nice piece of info! May I reference part of this on my blog if I post a backlink to this webpage? Thanks.
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Tennent,
Please feel free to use anything that’s posted here. I would ask that you provide a link or an address back here so that others may be able to verify what you posted, as well as do their own further research. Thank you very much for being willing to do so.
bb
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I was studying some of your blog posts on this website and I conceive this site is rattling instructive! Continue posting .
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Thanks for the writeup. I definitely agree with what you are saying. I have been talking about this subject a lot lately with my father so hopefully this will get him to see my point of view. Fingers crossed!
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Domin,
Thanks.
bb
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Jacob,
Thank you very much.
bb
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Excuse my stupidity, but I can’t seem to find your sites rss feeds. Can you tell me where it is? Thanks.
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I’m having a small annoyance. I cannot subscribe to your rss feed for some reason. I’m using google reader by the way.
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Please try it now & let me know if I fixed it, thanks.
bb
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Please try it now & let me know if I fixed it, thanks.
bb
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My spouse and I have invariably pondered about Questions… Faith Bible Ministries Blog, your write-up really does an incredible job describing it.
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Thanks,
bb
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I am not sure where you’re getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for great information I was looking for this info for my mission.
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Thank you. 38 years of studing the masters.
“I have studied the work of many notable teachers and preachers; but to mention a few: Sir Robert Anderson*, E.W. Bullinger*, Charle Hodge, Herbert Lockyer*, Alfred Edersheim, N.L. Geisler & W.E. Nix, J.I. Packer, F.F. Bruce, A. W. Pink, Kenneth S. Wuest**, Walter Martin***, W. W, Wiersbe*, Josh McDowell (the early years), Spiros Zodhiates, W. A. Barber*, Stuart Briscoe, W. E. Vine, J. D. Pentecost, J. P. Green, F. J. Dake, W. E. Scott, L. V. Crutchfield, J. W. Hayford, Ray Stedman, Lee Strobel, C. W. Smith, and Chuck Missler;** (an asterisk * indicates a greater influence).” This is taken from our teaching website: http://www.faithbibleministries.com (“About Us”)
bb
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Hey! awesome blog! I happen to be a daily visitor to your site (somewhat more like addict :P ) of this website. Just wanted to say I appreciate your blogs and am looking forward for more!
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Hey! Fantastic blog! I happen to be a daily visitor to your site (somewhat more like addict :P ) of this website. Just wanted to say I appreciate your blogs and am looking forward for more!
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You obviously know your stuff. Wish I could think of something clever to write here. Thanks for sharing.
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Kantarian,
Thanks.
bb
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Adriana,
Your welcome.
bb
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Enslow,
Thanks much.
bb
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I almost never leave a response, but i did some searching and wound up here Questions… Faith Bible Ministries Blog. And I actually do have 2 questions for you if you tend not to mind. Could it be only me or does it look like some of the responses come across like coming from brain dead visitors? :-P And, if you are writing at additional online social sites, I’d like to follow anything new you have to post. Would you list of all of all your communal pages like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
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Laree,
Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog.
First off concerning the mindless visitors. I am new to blogging and have been unaware up until recently of comment spam. However a few days ago I went back and disabled the URL (leaving the email links intact) of many of the comments as it became obvious to me that they were friends for spam. I’ve done the same thing with yours concerning your website, incompany. I admit that part of the problem is having worked in law enforcement and the prison system I understanding far too well how evil people can be in their attempt to gain financially.
And the Internet is an excellent place for this evil (instead of the word evil I could just say wrong, or even sin; however, one major characteristic of evil as compared to the others is its habitual preoccupation with rationalizing its behavior. Sin is easily repented of, where evil does not do so and must maintain a façade of justification) to grow. The idea of creating greater exposure on a search engine by flooding blog sites with comment spam displays a lack of morality that is starting to become normal at this time in history.
The justification that there is a greater good that is achieved by being dishonest and completely fabricating this kind of distortion displays a warped sense of discernment that is increasing at an abnormal rate; it is also activity that a true believer can not justify. As of last night, due to further research I have come to the conclusion that I will not allow any more of these type of comments to approved on this blog site.
I take my own time in answering each one in reading it in attempting to determine if it is legitimate or not. Yet, the people that do this kind of thing don’t care about what it cost someone like myself, the hours I could be spending on research concerning God’s kingdom as opposed to wasting time so that they can get a better rating on Google.
Part of my confusion has been that I understand that when you purchase a domain you can also purchase a e-mail account, and I thought that if you send an e-mail it might be possible to link to the web site.
However, at this point I’ve come to the conclusion that this is an incorrect summation. So I’m not going to waste anymore time or energy on this kind of spam, attempting to determine whose legitimate who’s not.
From now on if a comment does not have direct indication that the individual sincerely read my post, I will not allow it, nor respond to it.
I don’t know if you are a comment spammer (or even worse yet the kind of company that produces these type of services – if you are, I’m curious how God feels about the situation, of how many naïve Christians have wasted their time and energy simply to profit someone with no scruples. Yet rather they claim to be a Christian or not maybe someday they’ll have to explain how they wasted some of God’s resources on their own attempt to gain filthy Luker) because of the connection to your website, but on face value of what you said I choose not to believe so of you; and wish to sincerely thank you for reinforcing the idea that there are some brain-dead visitors, which to me could only be explained as comment spam.
You have helped me decide that I need to spend my time more productively addressing those that are truly willing to commit the time in reading the articles that have cost me and others so much time and effort. Concerning your second question, copies of my articles are produced on Facebook only.
Again thank you for helping me make a decision concerning this expenditure of time and effort. Brent
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I’m having a small problem. I’m unable to subscribe to your rss feed for some reason. I’m using google reader by the way.
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Hordyk,
I have been trying for a while to get wordpress to fix the RSS problem.
What I find is that as you hover over the RSS icon, then try click on one of the choices, it goes away before you can click – is that what you are getting?
WordPress has not responded to my support requests or feed back – Please advise if this is the problem you are having – I will try speaking a little louder to them.
bb
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Great post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
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Breehl,
Thanks.
bb
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Great piece of info! May I reference part of this on my blog if I post a backlink to this webpage? Thank you.
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Yes, thanks.
bb
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Strony,
Yes, please do.
bb
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Woh I enjoy your content , saved to bookmarks ! .
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Yolanda,
Thank you.
bb
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I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
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Hazle,
Once a week around Friday or so. Thanks.
bb
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Micah,
Thank you. bb
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can somebody please explain the unpardonable sin to me.after i read scriptures on the unpardonable sin my mind started to think unholy thoughts about the holy spirit and i dont agree with them thoughts and i love the lord and i pleaded for mercy and told him i wasnt intentionally thinking those thoughts and i felt horrible about it and felt condemned too. its kind of like somebody telling me not to think of a pink elephant and i tell myself dont think about it and then the next moment im thinking about it. well thats kind of what happened to me. any advice for me?
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Rachel,
I have written quite a bit on this subject, partially because I get more questions about this subject and many others.
I want you to read the following article which specifically deals with blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
If this is really bugging you, which no doubt it is then you should be motivated enough to read detailed articles to explain this because it is complex.
In a world where everything is attempted to be done down for the masses, where we are taught to be lazy and have things done for us the easy way, it becomes normal to not have to read too much or dig very deep.
But life is complex, not as easy as we want to think it is. If you look at the human DNA, which is a blueprint of a human body that is individual to each and every separate person on this earth or has ever been here, where there is no duplication, it is very complex.
The reason why this issue get so much attention is because it is complex.
I’m going to give you a few paragraphs right now to get you started so you know what to look for when you read that article. Also it is very important that you read the comments afterwords given by people because you may find other answers they are as I expand on this subject quite a bit.
When you talk about the unforgivable sin this is a generic term.
James speaks about sins unto death, Paul also speaks about his sin that you don’t need to pray for. We have no idea what this sin that were not supposed to pray for is because he does not give us details, so to guess is completely wrong because you’ll never come up with the right answer because of the Holy Spirit has chosen for us not to go down this road.
Don’t let your mind make up stuff that’s not the Bible, or that is very limited in its explanation.
If a parent doesn’t want to talk to a five-year-old about sex, it would be wrong for the five-year-old to fantasize an attempt to understand something that he cannot understand at that time in his life.
If the word of God does not address it do not try to figure out what it means, if something is important that God wants us to understand he will give us the details.
Now here’s what we do know about one particular sin which is stated as being unforgivable, it is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which Jesus spoke about as recorded in the book of Matthew 12:30-35, which states:
“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
This is a situation where the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus because he had healed someone on the Sabbath which was against the Pharisees teaching, Jesus was threatening their stature and credibility with the people around them who are watching this occurrence, so they accused him of doing this miracle in the power of Satan.
We must remember that in prior occasions when they approached Jesus say stated; “we know that you come from God, for no man does the miracles that you do.”
They were admitting that he was anointed in a very special way, because who else does miracles but God and therefore God was accrediting Jesus for what he did.
And when they said this he was not doing something that oppose their own teaching.
Yet they were not believers, they were opposed to him because now they come to him and see that he does something that violates their law and threatens them and their credibility, and they make a public statement in front of others accusing Jesus of blasphemy.
Blasphemy means to slander, to slander it must be done on purpose, it is where someone audibly accuses someone and knows they are lying about it.
It cannot be a thought as you are experiencing.
I get this question all the time because of what you had already referred to concerning the elephant situation.
But the first thing that we have to see is that number one it is not and never is a thought. That is enough to answer your question there, but let me go on.
It is something that is done in front of a group of people where the individual slanderers, which means that they state with they know is a lie concerning an individual during a miracle that they know is done by God stating it is done by the devil.
You see to commit this sin you must be addressing a person that you know 100% is doing a miracle in the power of God and not a miracle in the power of Satan like with the false prophet.
In the tribulation the false prophet will use lying miracles, they are real miracles but they are meant to give him and the antichrist faults credibility, it’s not that the miracles are real they are, the same as the two priest of Pharaoh turned their rods into real snakes. But it was Moses Rod that turned into a snake that was more powerful and ate up the pre-snake.
We must understand that when the Bible speaks about deceitful are lying miracles it does not mean it is talking about trickery, it is talking about real miracles that imply that they’re being done by God and they are not.
So God does not want us believing every miracle that is done, because even Satan camouflages himself as a angel of light.
So to do this blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the accuser who audibly accuses the person doing the miracle and front of others, and yes it must be done front of a group, rather it is the immediate people or people watching on TV, the whole reason it is done is for others so that the person making the accusation can’t put down, and accused the person doing the miracle of evil.
But it must be done knowing that what you’re doing is a lie.
Now here’s the tricky part.
Any man walking this earth that does a miracle and says it’s of God, could be doing a false miracle, or as I said before a lying miracle, a miracle that is a miracle but is actually done by the devil.
So if one of these TV evangelist does a miracle I am not just to believe it because he says it’s of God, I am to use this Scripture to see up what he says in does lines up with God because he is a man and man is fallen and evil and can make mistakes he can be dishonest.
You see what makes this sin done by the Pharisees different than any sin that could ever be done today is that they were standing in front of the son of God, the sinless man, who they could not bring any accusations of sin against.
You know how hard this would be. Each one of us daily sins many times and anyone can pointed out.
Yet for almost 3 years they’ve see Jesus in public talking all the time behaving, doing miracles and the Pharisees can’t find one sin to accuse him of in his daily behavior.
The only things I ever accuse him of is breaking their own interpretation of the Levitical law which sets down 613 requirements which the Pharisees in those before them reinterpret so that man can seem to be perfect and keep the law, when they cannot even keep the top 10.
Yet the point here is that they knew that Jesus was of God, he was not a normal sinful man, and they accused him of a lie that they knew was a lie, because they knew where the power to do the miracles he did came from, from God as it already said.
So today you and I can’t do this particular unforgivable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Because any man that I run into can possibly be doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And the only way for me right now to do this would be if Jesus appeared before me, the sinless God man, and I knew it was him 100%, and I knew that he would do a miracle in front of people and it was of God, and I would like to those around accusing him of doing it in the power of Satan.
You can’t do this accidentally.
You can only do it when you know 100% that the person doing the miracle is doing it in the power of God and you could never know this when a human is doing it because they could be doing lying miracles.
There’s only one person that is ever existed to walk this earth that you could say is 100% of the time always doing miracles in the power of God and never in the power of the flesh or for Satan, that is a person of Jesus Christ.
So you must understand we cannot commit this sin today.
It’s not a thought.
It is openly in front of others accuse a person from God who you know is doing a miracle in the power of God, knowing your lying, of doing that miracle in the power Satan.
You see God loves us so much that he does not allow very many things that can done why we are alive that can condemn us to help automatically.
When Jesus walked the earth and these Pharisees 100% knew what they were doing, and weren’t willing to change their mind because they had done something that is so serious that it is ridiculous to contemplate.
They knew they were dealing with a man of God that did something in the power of God, they 100% knew this and lied about it to keep their credibility.
They were willing to trade their eternal state for the credibility of people around them, because if they stop believing that the Pharisees were the true religious leaders they claim to be, they would lose their standing in the community and also and come, but most of all power within that community.
You see the only other time we see in the Bible that you can do something on this earth why you’re still living that can condemn you to hell is for those that when ever the tribulation comes and the false prophet and the antichrist come to power, and demand that people take the sign which means that they are aligning themselves with them.
That you must remember that this occurs during the tribulation and the rapture which is taken all the believers out of the earth is already occurred.
So this is talking about individuals who were not saved but after the rapture became believers.
And what we don’t understand is that when it says to take the Mark of the beast on your right-hand or your four head this is a sign of allegiance to the beasts saying he is God above all other gods.
Any person during the tribulation that agrees with this statement, and announces that their following this individual as their God, and they’re willing to align themselves by taking this sign, these are the only individuals in history besides the Pharisees that we see can do a physical act which is unforgivable and cannot be repented of.
You must also remember that the word repentance doesn’t mean to feel guilty or regret, it means to change your mind about something in such a way that it is so extreme that it changes your behavior.
You see salvation is not just a thought if it does then it is mere belief which is cognitive and member what James says about the Devils that believe but are not saved.
Faith is much more than a mental belief, it be mixed with confidence from reading God’s word amble leaving it to the extent it becomes a conviction. A conviction that changes your behavior because faith is always an action and is never simply a thought.
Salvation starts with a thought, a belief, but must always go on and grow because what does a Scripture say in Romans 10:17
“so then, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”
the point is, we start in the thought process of belief, but then real faith comes from reading and studying God’s word amble leaving all the prophecies that were written in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Christ concerning the Messiah, those hundreds of prophecies that were written hundreds of years before Jesus fulfilled them, proved up that Jesus was the Messiah.
The Bible tells about things that happen hundreds of years in advance, and not a few prophecies, but hundreds of them.
It’s when you read these and you become convinced that the author of this book is telling the truth and therefore when the author talks about the Messiah how he shall bring salvation to the earth you believe this and it goes beyond the mere thought process, it becomes a conviction.
Convictions are so strong of a belief that people die for them.
Therefore we must understand that as we start in belief, and we grow into conviction, this becomes biblical faith which changes our behavior and not just our thoughts.
People are willing to die because of their faith, they are not willing to die for a thought.
That Islam is that dive for Allah, have complete faith in Allah. They are not want to be followers, they are completely committed be on just a belief, but they have complete faith in that religious system. Which unfortunately leads them to hell, but it starts with them believing the thought that progresses to the faith.
You when I do the same thing when we place our belief in Jesus Christ. We start with a belief a thought, but if it stops there we are not believers.
Believers start with the thought in it progresses to a conviction because of believing what is in God’s word because this is where real faith grows and comes from.
Member the parable in Matthew of the sower and the different kinds of ground that the seed fell upon.
There are many people that may have a belief but never grow to a conviction and therefore do not experience biblical faith.
One way to tell if you are a person that is exercising faith is how obsessed are you with it.
You see beliefs don’t cost this much and therefore do not usually become obsessive to the same degree unless were emotionally disturbed, but even then I know of people that are saved and very excessive about Christianity, and teach wrong things, but I believe there saved.
The point is the Bible says no man seeks God, so, if you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, and it has changed your life, your behavior, then you are expressing fruits of faith.
Slide Jesus said about repentance and the Pharisees, check out their fruits to see if they are what they say they are. Because you will know a man by his fruits, or his deeds.
It is the deeds that show of a man is exercising belief or faith.
If you are this concerned about intruding thoughts, understanding intruding thoughts are not things that you believe, there just intruding because your mind is such a fantastic computer that if I say don’t think about pink elephants, your mind automatically thinks about pink elephants.
You think our merciful God that gave his own son for our salvation would let us lose it so easily by Amir intruding thought.
Look at Peter, he blasphemed Jesus but he did not blasting the Holy Spirit. He said he that he was not a follower and denied Christ three times any cursed and accused Christ’s, but yet he did not do so of the Holy Spirit and he did not believe that Jesus was a false prophet, he responded out of fear. He was not choosing to go to hell or align himself against Christ he was just responding to his own fear of being killed.
And yet even this was completely forgiven.
What the Pharisees did cannot be re-created without having Christ on the earth to be the one doing the miracles.
Jesus is not like our earthly fathers and will not create such an easy way for us to become harm spiritually.
What good father leaves a loaded gun on the table for a five-year-old play with and become hurt.
How much better is our heavenly Father.
Now I want you to click on this link which talks about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, I want you to read the comments afterwards.
But I can tell you right now what you really need to do after that is to fully understand what salvation is a not what you’re taught in 30 minutes on a Sunday morning were people can even give up enough time to address this book of all books which gives us how to live our life and become saved.
You need to commit your life to reading and understanding this book, but you need to have teachers that will explain it because it was not written in English which is a sloppy language.
It was written in koine Greek, perhaps the most specific and detailed language known to man.
When it comes to my salvation vagueness cannot be a part of it. Being almost saved is not being saved at all. This is why God chose the most exact language known to man to can they the intricacy and details concerning what he wants to say.
The problem is we have it translated into English which is sloppy and inconsistent.
God is not sloppy and inconsistent in either is this form of Greek.
And there are many words in the Greek that we do not have in the English, and when the translator tried to convey the thought it takes too many words which go against the rules of grammar in the English so they don’t use that many words because the structure would be destroyed.
So you need not just to read about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit but you need to read my articles on faith, and also as importantly is my articles on eternal security because you are a child of God and you need to realize you can’t lose that because you didn’t pay for it, Jesus did.
And he doesn’t make mistakes. He’s knocking to give you something that you can lose on your own, that’s not the Jesus of the Bible.
As it says in John 19 in the prayer before the crucifixion the night before his death he tells God I have All those that you have given me except for the one that was prophesied that would be lost, and what we need to understand is Judas was never one of them, the language does not permit us to have the interpretation that he was ever one, but they were prophecies about one of his followers, not one of the Christians of followed him but an individual that would become his betrayer.
You see you must understand that there are many followers that Jesus had, but this does not mean that they were saved.
Just as air many people sitting in the church, but sitting in a church is not mean there saved
Jesus even used idioms and metaphors that let us know that we cannot lose our salvation once we become children of God.
Have you ever seen a sheep become a goat. Yet sheep are always used as examples of believers, and goats are always used as examples of unbelievers. You can’t become one and then become another.
And by the way you were chosen before the foundations of the earth, it just took to a certain time in chronological history on the day that you accepted Christ that you fulfilled the fact that your name was already written in the Lamb’s book of life, you caught up with the fact of your salvation.
That’s why understanding eternal security as it teaches many things out of the book of Ephesians, such as you as an individual, not as a group but as an individual are saved before the foundations of the earth because you were chosen in placed in that book.
You see this is why we need the Greek is because many people say that those that were chosen before the foundations of the earth as a generic expression of God choosing a group of people, however the Greek grammar does not allow for this the Greek grammar demands that it was individual that is chosen.
You see I teach from the Greek grammar of what that Greek New Testament that God gave to man says according to the Greek grammar.
God did not give the New Testament in English.
So you need to read up on what biblical faith really means, and what eternal security means after you have addressed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, so that in the future you will not be so easily confused.
This is why spend all this time explaining this subject in such great detail because it’s that important.
Forgive any typos, or sound alike words because I’m using voice recognition hardware, your brother in Christ, Brent
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
https://faithbibleministriesblog.com/2015/02/20/blasphemy-of-the-holy-spirit-3/
Biblical Faith
https://faithbibleministriesblog.com/2014/10/31/faith-the-a-b-cs/
Eternal Security
https://faithbibleministriesblog.com/2012/07/13/eternal-security-why-is-it-important/
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I am interested in purchasing your Names of God poster. I have a friend in Maine whose house burnt down in a storm. One of the things she asked for was a list of the names of God that she used for prayer. Is there a way for you to send me the file of the poster so I could enlarge it for her? My email is Ljbonsall@gmail.com. God bless your ministry! Linda Bonsall
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Linda,
We do not sell anything, and I could not find the jpeg you are referring. I found it on Google images, I am a 501(c)e, and can use them because we do not sell anything.
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Where does our spirit and soul go when we die. Thank you
I was reading your blog on our heart.
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There are two distinct teachings concerning the makeup of man, one that man is a triune being, with a body, soul and spirit ; while the other is the idea that man has two aspects, that he has a body and a spirit and combined they make up what is referred to as a living soul. I follow the understanding that man is triune made in God’s image as God is also trying, therefore being composed of a spirit, a living soul, and a body. Your question concerning what happens to the spirit and the soul when the body dies is very simple based upon Jesus teaching. First understanding that man becomes eternal at birth, not that he existed prior to his birth but once born he is a eternal being. And as such when the body dies where does the spirit and soul reside. Jesus taught that there were only two destinations, Hades (the Greek, sheol is the Hebrew. See the story of Lazarus and the rich man when they die, and Luke 16:19-31) which was a trashed continually on fire and therefore this word is used for our understanding as hell, and the other is spending eternity with God in heaven. We know that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, but beyond this we don’t know of any other realms of existence though we know they exist. So to say where we would be physically or concerning locality we cannot say. But the main concept is either you go to a place that was created for fallen Angels who refused to have faith and trust in God, or you become a born-again believer based upon your trust with God and you go to him after human death. We understand that Hades is a place of torment where figures are used to describe it concerning fire, pain, and being eaten by worms. I’m sure that these all fall short in comparison to the real deal. But from the story of Lazarus and the rich man, at least the temporary abode of the dead referred to as Hades, people were still conscience yet suffering.
I do believe that individuals are separated from each other in isolation because quality of salvation we refer to as faith is a prime ingredient to having relationships with others.
This is what nonbelief is, is a refusal to have a relationship with somebody therefore isolation would be a realistic part of the damnation. You see with every human being you will ever act there is only one ingredient to having a social relationship, that is faith. If you cannot trust your husband or your wife you are miserable, if you cannot trust your employer you’re always checking the math on your check, if you cannot trust the police officer that is pulling you over you are scared to death. Even as I walked down the street I trust that people aren’t gonna pull out a knife and kill me as I walked past them or if I did believe that I would change to the other side of the street. Faith is the only mandatory ingredient to having a clean healthy relationship with another being, rather human or God. It is Adam’s refusal to trust that God could replace E when she became disobedient because she was tricked that caused him to break faith with God and therefore become disobedient. We are supposed to obey because we trust what he says not because of fear based upon blind faith. There is no such thing as blind faith to begin with. Faith by its very nature is based upon a track record of having dealt with someone and either they have been consistent and positive and loving and therefore can trust them and exercise faith, or you have had a track record of relationship with an individual where they have been inconsistent, they have harmed you or they’re not trustworthy where you will not show them faith.
This is part of the imageness which man was created based upon God. God does not need anyone but he chooses to be social, which mandates faith as a condition of being social and therefore it’s what we reestablish our relationship with him trusting that he and he alone can make us right in his sight and that his son paid the price for our sins as an act of grace, unmerited favor, it is mercy mixed with the gift never deserved given of God yet with only one necessary ingredient for the receiving of, faith.
My time is short concerning looking up references in the New Testament, if you use a concordance, which list every word in the Bible, Strong’s is the best I believe, also can be found on the Internet, using the pivotal words, soul, spirit, hell, heaven, I believe you will come to understand what I am referring concerning. Brent
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Thank you this helps.
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Please comment on (1 Tim.2:9-15).
Thank you.
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After over a year of dealing with cancer, I have been behind on any replys. I am almost done with a reply to your question. Thank you. Brent
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