Seun:
Good question. Note that mentioning a large number of people is considered to be a form of spamming.

TomHagen:
You authenticate by faith and an expression of spiritual fruits as the doctor above has explained.

DoctorAlien:
To the question about how Abraham was able to discern GOD's voice:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Jn. 10:27

It also helps to understand that it was Christ who commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son to Him(to test how loyal Abraham could be to Him.)

Abraham was also sober and vigilant as 1 Pet. 5:8 instructs, and thus could quickly discern commands from GOD and those not from Him.

DoctorAlien:
Satan was very powerful, next in power only to Christ Himself. However, he sinned, and iniquity was found in him, and he corrupted his wisdom(See Ezek. 28:13-18). We know that Satan is evil and iniquitous by nature.

Now the LORD expressly says "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." Matt. 7:16-18

See Gal. 5:19-21 for the fruits which a Satan-controlled life will yield. See v.22-24 for the fruits which a Christ-possessed life will yield.

I'll conclude by saying that a life devoid of Christ is already in Satan's control. Such an one does not need to "encounter" Satan again. So, if you know that you don't have Christ in your life, strive to meet Him today, and enjoy the unlimited goodness He bestows, while getting freed from Satan's bondage.

KingEbukasBlog:


Excellent response

There's that affinity with God and his true followers .

joyContraMundum:
Faith is NEVER a rational criteria for authenticating any idea. That's why it's possible to have faith in anything that rocks your boat, that appeals to your emotions. It's all about feelings, and that's the opposite of reason.

A "Devil-worshipper" can also lay claim to "authentification by faith and expression of spiritual fruits".

You've answered nothing, dude.

TomHagen:
God never claimed to be your definition of rational bro. Don't get it twisted.

DoctorAlien:
A little study of the whole theme of the Salvation of man would reveal that the encounter between Christ and Abraham in Gen. 22 serves more purpose than people really think. Abraham knew that GOD would, one day, send a Substitute to be sacrificed. Perhaps, GOD wanted to impress Abraham with the personality of this Substitute; that He is Somebody so dear to GOD.

Let's draw some parallels:

1. Isaac was Abraham's only son. Christ is GOD's only begotten Son.

2. GOD the Father was willing to give up His only Son. Abraham was willing to give up His only son.

The difference between Christ and Satan is seen in Christ preventing Abraham from killing his son, Isaac. Satan was a murderer from the beginning(Jn. 8:44). He came to "steal, and to kill, and to destroy." But Jesus came to give life to men, and to give it to them more abundantly.(Jn. 10:10).

So, Christ is totally different from Satan.

joyContraMundum:
You didn't get the point, do you? You're quoting from the Bible, man. The Bible was written by men who claimed to be inspired by "God". Now, the question is, By what criteria did they arrive at the conclusion that the inspirations were from God? Was it because he called himself God? Does that make him God? How did they know who it was?

You haven't answered this.

DoctorAlien:


I'm not here to defend the authenticity of the Bible. All the information you want about GOD and His dealings with man is found in the Bible.

The authenticity of the Bible is a topic for another day.

And I know that this is an attempt at subtly asking the question "Prove that GOD exists." But, bro, I don't have time for such unrewarding, meaningless, spiritually unbenefitting arguments.

joyContraMundum:
You didn't get the point, do you? You're quoting from the Bible, man. The Bible was written by men who claimed to be inspired by "God". Now, the question is, By what criteria did they arrive at the conclusion that the inspirations were from God? Was it because he called himself God? Does that make him God? How did they know who it was?

You haven't answered this.

joyContraMundum:
Did Christ prevent Jephtha from making a human sacrifice of his daughter?

KingEbukasBlog:


DoctorALien's verse "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John. 10:27 answers your question .

There's that connection between God and his true followers . Its more of a divine assurance . As a true follower of God , since you are divinely connected with God , you can know when a voice or command is God's . You have the Holy Spirit already dwelling in you that resists any contrary spirit .

DoctorAlien:


The Bible does not specifically say that Jephthah burnt her daughter. I'd like to think he simply devoted her to the service of GOD. Thus, she never got married and she knew no man carnally. Judges 11:39 gives a hint at this. Also, the daughter went to bemoan her virginity. That suggests something.

Jer. 7:31; 19:5 and 32:35 clearly indicate that the idea of human sacrifice never entered GOD's mind, and since it did not, GOD would not require Jephthah to make her daughter pass through the fire(Lev. 20:1-5).

The women of Israel copied the act of Jephthah's daughter's friends, and simply made it a custom.

joyContraMundum:
Oh really? Didn't Jephtha eventually "do with her according to his vow which he had vowed" ? Isn't that in the Bible? What is "his vow which he had vowed"? Yes......?

DoctorAlien:
Jer. 7:31; 19:5 and 32:35 clearly indicate that the idea of human sacrifice never entered GOD's mind, and since it did not, GOD would not require Jephthah to make her daughter pass through the fire(Lev. 20:1-5).

joyContraMundum:
LMAO...... I thought you have a duty to preach the gospel and win souls which is what Christ's Great Commission is all about. Now, if you're to preach the gospel to an unbeliever in a bid to draw him to salvation by accepting Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, and he asks the same question I asked then you would go on to tell him this: "I know that this is an attempt at subtly asking the question "Prove that GOD exists." But, bro, I don't have time for such unrewarding, meaningless, spiritually unbenefitting arguments"? Do you expect him to be credulous enough to just swallow the whole thing without asking questions?

joyContraMundum:
Your God is notorious for being astonishingly contradictory. He takes U-turns every now and then. He says thou shall not kill, but presided over, supervised and commanded the horrific deaths of many innocents at the hands of the Sons of Israel. He asserts to King Saul through Samuel that he NEVER changes, but we've seen him change his mind a number of times in his Biography contained in the Bible..... etc, etc..... This nullifies your point. He's not trustworthy and pretty unstable. He doesn't stand by his words. In light of this, the Bible verse you quoted serves no purpose.

DoctorAlien:


"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet..." Matt. 10:14

"...he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD." Jn.3:18

Bro, GOD isn't gonna plead with you forever.

DoctorAlien:


Were the people GOD killed innocent?

If yes, how?

If no, then you have no point.

joyContraMundum:
Your God is notorious for being astonishingly contradictory. He takes U-turns every now and then. He says thou shall not kill, but presided over, supervised and commanded the horrific deaths of many innocents at the hands of the Sons of Israel. He asserts to King Saul through Samuel that he NEVER changes, but we've seen him change his mind a number of times in his Biography contained in the Bible..... etc, etc..... This nullifies your point. He's not trustworthy and pretty unstable. He doesn't stand by his words. In light of this, the Bible verse you quoted serves no purpose.

joyContraMundum:
An example that YOU can relate with would suffice. Imagine that stateless (homeless) nomadic war-mongering circumcised bastards - an entire nation of them - attacked Nigeria in under the pretext that their God (which we DO NOT believe in) has delivered us into their hands because he has promised them OUR land. Then this brutal war-mongering nation of genocidal bastards killed every single one of us, male and female, young and old, mothers and babies and all our pets and livestock in the name of THEIR God. In this scenario, who's innocent? Who's guilty and filthy? The answer is self-evident.

Yet, this is what Joshua and his slave tribe of circumcised animals did to the inhabitants of Jericho, in the name of Yahweh.