I grew up in a community with a lot of religious bias and conflict. I suffered a certain amount of ridicule and negative comments.
 
My mother used to tell me, "Don't be upset by what they say, people tend to ridicule what they don't understand."
 
Watching these BB postings gives me a better understanding of what she really meant.
 
Grandpa13
 

Grandpa,,,,
 
and especially to {{IBIJ, ZEN, Mirrors} and some others.....
 
it is not **I** that is trying to tear people from their perch.

When a person begins to understand that he cannot explain God, life gets much simpler.
 
It has been said, "When a person tries to perfect his/her life through self will, self knowledge, and cleverness, he/she will be miserable."
 
I hold this to be true, because I lived two thirds of my life trying to perfect my life that way. The day I let go and let God into my life; things changed for me. The world kept right on churning, but I stopped to smell the roses. I found what I had been searching for all those years. I found what peace and serenity was. Fear and insecurity left me. I found God could and would do things for me that I couldn't do for myself.
 
I know I will suffer a certain amount of ridicule for telling it like it is, but that's OK. I respect people for how they believe because they really believe they are right.
 
Grandpa13

No ridicule coming your way, as best I can see, GrandPa
everyone has to live by their own decisions in life and do what is right for themselves..
 
As far as "letting Jesus into your life",,,, I personally am not preventing it from happening in mine, and I know, in my case, it has to be up to Jesus, God, Allah, Muhammed, ... whoever to make that move.
 
but that's just my case, we all have our own way.
BTW, GrandPa,,, are you going to sign up for the Member Organized Tourney in the MOT BB?
 
the more the merrier

Jesus told the desciples that he was going away. He also told them that they would one day follow. Thomas responded by asking...
 
John 14:5-7
5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
 
And then we read the response of Jesus.
 
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
 
Did you notice keywords in His statement?
 
*** THE way ***
*** THE truth ***
*** THE life ***
 
Perhaps it was a long day for Jesus and he really meant "a way", "a truth" & "a life".
 
But then he removed all doubt by stating.
 
"NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT through me"
 
Seems pretty clear.
 
* Not Allah
* Not Buddah
* Not even Mohammed
 
But God and God along through the blood bought sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ is the way to eternal redeeming salavation.
 
So yes GP13. That's exactly why I do tell it exactly like it is and recommend that you continue to do the same every chance you get.
 
Happy Sabbath
IBIJ

"Seems pretty clear.

* Not Allah
* Not Buddah
* Not even Mohammed"
 
Ahhhh, but Jesus spoke to the Muslims. they believe in him.
 
So I guess they are exempt, eh?
 
not that it matters. the Muslims have their stuff together on this issue, they don't need people.... MERE people, telling them.
 

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 
Which part of the world did Jesus love?
 
A: The Non-Christians
B: The Christians
C: The entire World
 
What did God the Father do as a result of this love?
 
A: Have a bon-fire of human torment due to their stupidity
B: Sacrificied His Son through redeeming cruifixion
C: Forget the whole thing and let all enter into eternal paradise
 
The whole world would include
 
* Muslims
* Hindus
* Budists
* Catholics
* Adventist
* Mormons
* And even finger-pointing eternal-hell believing blindly-misguided main line denominational-thinking modern day Christians from such sects as Methodist, Presybertian, Baptist, & Lutheren just to name a few.
 
God does not care what denomniation people are from. He does however consider it of grave import what we do with the truth we have been given. To that extent there will be people who have never opened the Bible or prayed to Jesus that will be entering into Heaven while devout Sabbath and Sunday going followers will be cast into the lake of devouring fire.
 
To that extent you will find Muslims in Heaven and Baptist left out. Not because they followed Muhammed but because they followed the ways of God the best they knew how with the information they had been provided. The difference with many of these people is they were never given the opportunity of really studying God's Word. God will hold people that have access to His Word (like presumably you and I) responsible for the content inside while those not having such privelages will not be responsible for what they never had access to.
 
Happy Sabbath
IBIJ
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

you know how these things go, IBIJ, never UNchallenged.
 
Jesus loved everybody.
 
what a crying shame his word only got to a mere handful of people on earth! And of the billons of God's Creations that never got that word.....????
 
Too bad,,, "No soup for them"!
 
The God/Jesus that is portrayed by Christians,, a benevolent, loving God, is totally missing in this scenerio. sorry, IBIJ.
 
and it is SUCH a shame,, it seems God seeks our love, and many on earth seek HIS, even if they don't know it! Why doesn't God simply resolve this dilemma. He can. if He wants.
 
But.... He don't.
 
The Christian God Enigma.
 

 
How would you presume that God would "resolve this dilemma?"
 
Why should I answer your question when you already have done a great job of answering it yourself.
 
 
God holds people accountable for what they know, not what they do not know. He examines the character of individuals and not necessarily their knowledge. Thus for people who have not had the opportunity of studying God's Word they will not be held responsible for knowing the contents within. However, for those of us who have the ability to know what God's Word clearly says yet refuse to study it out for themselves -- great sorrow indeed.
 
Happy Sabbath
IBIJ

Sorrow from the cats last week. Great joy from the Melbourne storm tonight. Who needs that musty old book ? Not me. Never.

Yes, Paul -- Damascus awaits.
 
Happy Sabbath
IBIJ

Sorry IBIJ, I will never accept that the Christian god exists; he plainly does not. I will never accept that Jesus Christ existed. He is a fictional character from a book . The book itself is simply page after page of ignorance and fireside fairy stories. The reason I respond to your posts is not because I am searching for the road to Damascus. It is because ..if you post your religious views, then I have a right to challenge them . Every claim you have made is based solely on faith. Nothing you have ever said can be proved. Therefore there must be a very big question mark over every thing you say. You can not see it. That is fine with me.

Would you be as strong in your position if I was attempting to convince people that Santa Claus existed or would you simply dismiss me as strange and let it go at that? Why the difference when it comes to the name Jesus Christ? If indeed He is simply another fictional character then there is nothing more to be said. So much more is said because you must keep yourself convinced that the Son of God does not exist by your twisted retoric.
 
By the way, Paul wasn't seeking an encounter with God on the road to Damscus. He was headed to Damascus to kill Christians. It was God who sought Paul just as He continues to do with you.
 
I'm more than cool with you challenging my teachings of God's Holy Word. Doing so means you continue reading, seems as success would rally in my court given that once you read what is said somewhere within your being you continue to review the words as a result. Therefore, I encourage you to continue showing me the error of my ways.
 
Cheers
IBIJ
 
PS: For God so loved the WHOLE WORLD (that includes you) that HE GAVE HIS ONLY begotten Son that whomsoever believes in Him shall be saved.
 
PSS: God bless you

 Very droll. Let me remind you of your success rate from your hundreds of posts. Nil. The error of your way is that you think that you know better than your fellow Christians. That you emphatically state what god wants. AS IF YOU WOULD KNOW. You are guessing. And you are most certainly guessing wrong. Let people make their own guesses.You don't have a monopoly on the truth. You and HOM think you have all the answers. You don't and that is why the pair of you are so loathed by most people at caissa.

Without agreeing with Everything that 'IBIJ' believes; or even believes, that it is Vital for others to know, as regards a few 'particulars'; the following short excerpt I found on the 'Web', goes a long way in explaining the disconnect in understanding, when it comes to your average 'believer,' {if there be such a thing}, and all the Non-believers, whose Bible understanding is 'blocked', as if by a barrier! --Herewith, is that virtual barrier, explained; specifically, as it relates to the 'parables' as taught by 'JC'!
 
 
Therefore, God responds to their hardness of heart by Not giving them the capacity to be able to discern the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. But it is not God who’s the primary cause of that inability - God wants all men to be saved (Acts 17:30), but those who harden themselves against Him, risk the consequence that their freewill will blind and deafen them to the Truth of the Kingdom of Heaven.
 
There is a similar passage in Romans 1 where Paul writes that those who reject what is plain to them about God, God ‘gives up’ or ‘gives over’ to worse sin (1:24,26,28). God ‘takes the brakes off’ {as it were}, a life, and lets them choose the way they want to live with all of its consequences.
 
 
'HoM' comment: Notice how just as there are degrees of enlightenment to the knowledge of God/'JC'; the same principle holds true for ignorance {often self-imposed}, of the 'Ways-of-God'!
 
.. That's why you have on this very 'bb' {bulletin board}; persons who scoff at 'JC's claims to Deity; yet otherwise acknowledge there being 'a God'; albeit, in their own belief-system, one that probably cannot be known, all that well; and those who choose, through the hardness of their own hearts, to discount entirely {or nearly so}, the existence of a God; while sometimes even ridiculing, those who believe otherwise.
 
While it's True, that God Would have All men/women be 'saved' {Acts 17:30}; given the way that human 'free-will' works; God, in His foreknowledge, also knew that Some {probably, even most}, will reject His 'Message.'

You are correct. I don't have the answers. I never said that I did. I have however continually directed people back to God's Word. Why?
 
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
 
As for whether I am loathed by the majority of Caissa or not the Words of Jesus sum it up best...
 
John 15
18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name
 
Which is exactly why I...
 
James 1
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
 
2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
 
Cheers
IBIJ