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Christianity Etc › Re: Reasons Why God Is Not Subject To His Own Laws ! by winner01(m): 10:54am On Apr 12, 2016
PastorAIO:
Humans are intelligent, they are in nature. I also happen to believe that trees are intelligent, and rivers and rocks. None of this supports your beliefs.
You mean the belief that creation is by the power of an intelligent being or creation by a big blind explosion?
Christianity Etc › Re: Reasons Why God Is Not Subject To His Own Laws ! by winner01(m): 10:47am On Apr 12, 2016
KingEbukasBlog:
Oh dalaman , I missed you bro ! I thought you drowned in a pool of beer or something undecided grin .
grin ;DThis got me laughing grin grin. Its good to know you are well dalaman grin...
One of these days, we should go all the way to another 6 pages of debate. The way you sustain your arguments is quite something. grin

Good to hear from you once again. cool
Christianity Etc › Re: Reasons Why God Is Not Subject To His Own Laws ! by winner01(m): 10:36am On Apr 12, 2016
KingEbukasBlog:
True bro . We had to go really low to explain these things to them . They dont have the brains to understand . Wetin man can do na huh grin
Maybe we should just do this. grin grin

Christianity Etc › Re: Reasons Why God Is Not Subject To His Own Laws ! by winner01(m): 10:27am On Apr 12, 2016
This should have ended from the first or second page or so. I think likening the God-man relationship to a Government/law- people relationship is what has taken this as far as this page. I think that comparison is wrong. This laws are people-made and the government is filled with people.

Comparing the God - man relationship to as low as even a Manufaturer - Phone relationship is even outrageous, because the manufacturer creates phones from pre-existing raw materials.

The God-man relationship cannot be compared to anything we know of, for if the universe is a product of God's command, how then could we even begin to fathom the extent of such power.

Atheists need to understand that they didnt ask to be created and so their Creator owes them no explanation whatsoever to whatever their opinons might be. I think the atheists do a great job likening the Creator to a man created in their brains and so feel they have the right to question or subject Him to His established laws.

I wish they posses this pride to an extent that they begin to make such demands from death, since death might not be substantial(existent) but manifest in our world.

The interesting this is and always will be that many have come and gone, but God's word will stand sure forever.
Christianity Etc › Re: Reasons Why God Is Not Subject To His Own Laws ! by winner01(m): 10:03am On Apr 12, 2016
KingEbukasBlog:
Thanks bro . You too . I have experienced same before tho . It will take care of itself somehow tho
Yeah bro, besides that, these past few days has been so tight, with my supervisor pushing his students on me and travelling and work and all. you done with your defence now right?.
Christianity Etc › Re: Jesus Has Been Coming Soon Since 2016 Years Ago! You Go Wait Tire by winner01(m): 8:34pm On Apr 11, 2016
If the Bible was written over a period of 4500 years, and some people are trying to convince us that 2016 years = forever. I can only sit back and laugh at such joke.
Christianity Etc › Re: Reasons Why God Is Not Subject To His Own Laws ! by winner01(m): 8:31pm On Apr 10, 2016
KingEbukasBlog:
I've always maintained that God is an embodiment of moral good and is not subject to his own laws . If we study the bible closely , it appears that God "disobeys" His own laws . The argument has been God makes laws for us, but seems to disobey those laws Himself. If this is true, so it is argued, God demands more of us than He does of Himself. Let’s explore this argument to test its validity.

Basic Elements of Law


1. Authority.

Law, by its very nature, requires a few basic elements. First, there must be an established authority to make the law. In the case of federal law, the United States consists of branches of duly elected representatives of the people who pass and enforce laws. When it comes to natural law, there are no written ordinances, but the authority that established the principles that govern nature (i.e. God) put them in place by virtue of the fact that He created nature and so has the right to order it as He pleases (cf. Jer. 33:25). Divine Law that is given by revelation is higher than any human law. It is not set by man although many laws of man derive their authority from divine law—and thus from God Himself. Just as God made the elements of the natural world with the laws that govern them, God made man as a spiritual being and He alone holds the ultimate authority to regulate his behavior (Ps. 119:105).

2. Rules.

A second element common to all law is some type of rules or regulations. All laws mandate certain things that must operate a certain way. A system without rules is said to be lawless. Any system that is governed by law operates within set rules and guidelines. It could be a speed limit. The law mandates “70 miles per hour” as the maximum speed at which a vehicle can travel on a certain road. It could be behavior. It is a crime to steal. Law BooksThe nature of the rules depends upon the nature of the thing regulated. In some cases the authority that enforces the rule is understood to stand outside of the rule. The highway patrolman who exceeds 70 miles per hour is not guilty if he does this to catch a driver who is speeding. The policeman that confiscates stolen property is not a thief. Part of their authority exempts them from some measure of accountability to the very laws they must enforce.

3. Jurisdiction.

A third element of all law is jurisdiction. For law to have meaning there must be some realm over which a given law has dominion. The ancient laws of the Hittite empire may be curious relics of antiquity but they no longer hold any power because there is no longer a Hittite empire. The realm and the region over which these laws once held power no longer exists. In regional governments the issue of jurisdiction is paramount. The authority of one state cannot enforce its laws on the citizens of another because it does not have jurisdiction. By the same token, if I violate a practice that is considered criminal in another jurisdiction, but is permitted within the county, state, or country where I live I am not guilty. A good example of this is the burka worn by Muslim women. A woman in the United States is not a criminal if she refuses to wear a burka even though it is required by law in countries such as Saudi Arabia.

4. Subjects.

Finally, in a very similar way, all law must involve subjects—that is, those who are under obligation to that law. We as Nigerians are obligated to obey the laws of our nation because we are properly subjects of the government which holds authority over us, and thus subject to its laws.


God’s Relationship to His Own Laws

1. Laws of Nature.

As we all know God is the authority who established these laws. There are set rules that define these laws. Laws of gravity demand that a rock falls to the ground—it doesn’t float up into the sky. Is God within the jurisdiction of natural law? A key difference between the picture of the God of the Bible and the concepts of pagan false religions is what is called transcendence. Greek GodsThe God of the Bible exists outside of the natural realm that He created. In other words, while Zeus, or Anubis, or Odin were themselves subject to certain laws of nature, the God of the Bible stands outside of the jurisdiction of natural laws. He is the “unmoved Mover.” He is the First Cause of all things! That means He can make an ax-head float (2 Kings 6:5-6). He can make time stand still (Josh. 10:12-13). He can make the shadow of the sundial go backwards (2 Kings 20:10-11). He is not under the jurisdiction of natural law, but very atom within this present universe, together with every soul made in His image is. They are subjects of the natural laws that God established over His creation. Because God transcends the natural universe, He is not a subject of His own creation, and is therefore not subject to the laws that govern it.

2. Moral or Religious Law.

What about moral or religious laws? There is an interesting example that concerns the Sabbath commandment. The rules required that no ordinary work was to be done on the seventh day (Exod. 20:10). This was a law that was not given until the Law of Moses was revealed (Neh. 9:14). It was a law that was not restated under the Law of Christ (Col. 2:16). That means that those who worked on the seventh day before the Law of Moses, as well as those who now live under Christ, and even those who were not a part of the Mosaic covenant during the time of the Israelite commonwealth were outside of its jurisdiction and were not, therefore, subject to its regulation. What about God? This law was drawn from what was said about God’s creation (Exod. 20:11). The present universe was made in six days, but Scripture tells us that after this was done, God “rested on the seventh day from all the work which He had done” (Gen. 2:2). Even before this was given as a law to the Israelites, God is said to have “blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Gen. 2:3). The Hebrew writer, in one sense speaks of God’s works being “finished from the foundation of the world” (Heb. 4:3-4), but Jesus, when criticized for healing on the Sabbath said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have being working” (John 5:16-17). Did God violate His own Sabbath law? No. He stood outside of its jurisdiction and like those before and after the Law of Moses, He was not subject to its regulation.


3. Genocide.

This may seem reasonable when we are talking about things like the Sabbath law, but what is most frequently criticized is God’s treatment of His creation. That is, He commands us not to murder, but then He has commanded the extermination of the Canaanites, and Amalekites. Or, He commands us not to harm one another but He promises to punish the wicked throughout all eternity. Is He breaking His own laws in these examples? What are the basic elements of law in these examples? God is, once again, the established authority and He has set the rules that govern appropriate behavior. Yet, has God defined all taking of life as wrong? No! It is true that man is not to avenge himself (Rom. 12:19), and God condemns murder (Exod. 20:13), but He grants to the civil authority the right to punish even to the point of death those guilty of certain laws (Rom. 13:4). Is the executioner a murderer? No. Like the policeman who speeds to catch someone speeding, the executioner in his authority to carry out punishment is (to a measure) exempt from accountability to the law he is enforcing (cf. Num. 35:27). God on some specific occasions commanded Israel (in essence) to act as His executioner (Deut. 7:1-5; 25:17-19; 1 Sam. 15:1-5). The Canaanites and Amalekites were among some of the most wicked people that history has every known (Deut. 9:4; Ps. 106:34-37). God bore with their wickedness for a time in order to give them time to repent (cf. Gen. 15:16). When the time came, He used Israel as the vehicle by which He ended their ability to do any more wickedness. Did He violate His own law? No. First, because He was never under the jurisdiction of this law, nor a subject to obey it, but also because the people whom He used to carry out His punishment were not violating any divine law themselves. They were carrying out lawful punishment—in this case in the form of warfare.

4. Eternal Punishment.

What about eternal punishment? The issue of jurisdiction is applicable to this question as well. God is not under the jurisdiction of the laws He has set for His creation. When Judgment Day comes the nature of the present jurisdiction will be changed. What rules will govern the age to come? The jurisdiction of the realm of the saved will not be the same as the jurisdiction of the realm of the condemned. For example, to some measure, in that age the present laws of nature will be changed. In the jurisdiction of the saved there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor pain because for them “the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). On the other hand, some of these things will exist for the lost—“the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever” (Rev. 14:11). Is it cruel for God to punish the wicked eternally? Let’s consider this from another angle. If I create something—a piece of pottery, a bird house, a painting, or a machine—what rights do I have over that thing I have created? Am I cruel to the pottery if I reshape it into another vessel? (cf. Jer. 18:5-6). Have I sinned against the bird house if I decide to use it for something else? If the machine turns out to be dangerous, am I a monster if I make certain it is kept away from ever causing any harm to anyone ever again? No.

In our creation it is God that formed the molecules and synaptic responses that form our physical bodies (Ps. 139:13-16). We are His creation—He can do with us as He pleases. God asked Judah, “can I not do to you as this potter?” (Jer. 18:6). Above all other creatures in this universe, He has blessed us by placing within us a spirit that is said to be in His image (Gen. 1:26-27)—we are from this point onward eternal creatures (Eccl. 3:11). That is a blessing! But it is a blessing that demands responsibility. The nature and demands of God are such that all creatures that bear His likeness must conform to His law. For those who fail in this (which is to say all who are morally accountable in age and ability) He has made provision for this failure by the atonement of Christ. What is God to do with those of His creation whom He has made eternal who remain in rebellion to His authority and refuse His regulation? Since He is not a subject of His own law, and therefore not under the jurisdiction of His own authority we cannot even compare any action He takes to punish wrong with committing wrong—remember the executioner is not a murderer. Confiscation is not theft. Those who reject the gospel of Christ establish themselves as a type of eternally dangerous machine that must be forever put where it can never harm the subjects of God’s kingdom ever again—that is essentially what hell is. Is this cruel on God’s part? No, it is His right as Creator and the transcendent authority over His creation.

Reference : http://focusmagazine.org/does-god-violate-his-own-laws.php

cc : winner01 , Joshthefirst , bxcode , MrPresident1, gatiano , unphilaz , Muafrika2, mykohayz Richirich713, MrsPhyno, sukkot, OLAADEGBU , vooks, UyiIredia , Scholar8200, Jeromejnr , plaetton, DeepSight , malvisguy212 Kay17 , PastorAIO , Rawblings , Ayomikun37
This is a great and deep write up bro. i dont get notified when mentioned lately, dunno whatsup. happy sunday bro.
Culture › Re: 6 Reasons Gender Equality is beneficial To Nigerian MEN And Society At Large by winner01(m): 9:29am On Apr 07, 2016
ok
Christianity Etc › Re: 5 Sins Often Ignored By Christians Today by winner01(m):
God is good

Christianity Etc › Re: See The 9 Lies Of Pornography And How To Break Free. by winner01(op): 10:07am On Apr 03, 2016
joseph1832:
The title of the article is glaring enough. If you can't see that, then you're blind.
In your mind, Pornography=people right? undecided

Keep your senselessness to yourself please, no one is trying to steal porn from you.
Christianity Etc › Re: Why I Hate Atheism With Passion Part 3 (Atheism Eternally Condemned) by winner01(m): 10:03am On Apr 03, 2016
KingEbukasBlog:
I tire oo grin grin
Lol...How have you been bro?
Christianity Etc › Re: Atheist Doctor Converts To Christianity - Gives Amazing Testimony by winner01(op): 8:22am On Apr 03, 2016
happy sunday
Christianity Etc › Re: 7 Values To Teach Our Children To Make Them Grow Into Godly Men And Women by winner01(op): 8:22am On Apr 03, 2016
happy sunday...
Christianity Etc › Re: See The 9 Lies Of Pornography And How To Break Free. by winner01(op): 8:21am On Apr 03, 2016
happy sunday!!!!
Christianity Etc › Re: Daughter Of A Satan Worshiping Priest Miraculously Escapes And Is Saved By Jesus by winner01(op): 8:20am On Apr 03, 2016
God be praised...
Christianity Etc › Re: The World Of Persecuted Christians In 2015 by winner01(op): 8:18am On Apr 03, 2016
HAPPY SUNDAY
Christianity Etc › Re: An Atheist Professor Of Biology Converts To Christianity. by winner01(op): 8:16am On Apr 03, 2016
orisa37:
He has just had WISDOM. He has just understood The Light of God in him (The Biology). He is just starting to act, interact and move for good in Faith, Hope, Peace and Love of God in Christ Jesus. The Wisdom of God which passes all understanding be with him for ever. Amen.
True!!!
Christianity Etc › Re: Quotes From Famous Men About The Bible. by winner01(op): 8:14am On Apr 03, 2016
lalasticlala
Christianity Etc › Re: Atheism And Terrorism; Annihilation in The Quest For Atheistic Domination by winner01(op): 8:13am On Apr 03, 2016
thehomer:
How many churches did he shut down?
The church as used in the Bible refers to people not buildings. When you exterminate christian's, you are eradicating the church. I guess that's what he meant.
Christianity Etc › Re: Stephen Curry's Shoes Reach Millions For God As Nike's Miss, Cost Them Billions by winner01(op): 8:09am On Apr 03, 2016
ugolance:
can't you guys read for once for God's sake? I weak o
grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin
Christianity Etc › Re: Pastor, Wife Live Out Easter Message By Forgiving Driver Who Killed Their Kids by winner01(op): 8:08am On Apr 03, 2016
asalimpo:
I knew the story wouldnt be nigerian. foreign content .
Can't a Nigerian do the same?
Christianity Etc › Re: Is Jesus The Only Way To Heaven? by winner01(op): 8:07am On Apr 03, 2016
emmanwandud:
Get ready for the atheist satanist Muhammedist and the realist to come and counter God's word but his word must surely come to pass.
The Word of God is true forever. There's no need to get ready for irrelevancies or opinions that don't matter, rather, get ready for church. grin

Bless you.
Christianity Etc › Re: Why I Hate Atheism With Passion Part 3 (Atheism Eternally Condemned) by winner01(m): 8:01am On Apr 03, 2016
KingEbukasBlog:
You seem to be the one trolling here . Here is your statement :



huh

We all know atheism as the belief there is no God . Meaning they dont exist . Then you are now saying no , Atheism is the non belief in a God . This simply means that there is indeed an eternal conscious entity but you dont see him as a God . Same way trees and rocks exist but you do not have the belief that they are gods

cc : winner01 , Joshthefirst , UyiIredia . Please oo am I misunderstanding this undecided

Abeg just stick to your we-believe-there-is-no-God-He-does-not-exist stance and stop obfuscating issues smiley smiley
grin grin lol. confusion. A trademark of the devils dealings. grin grin
Christianity Etc › Life After Death: What Did Jesus Do Between His Resurrection And Ascension? by winner01(op): 7:49am On Apr 03, 2016
The passion narrative is well known and often accounted both in art and in the Church, but the details of the 40 days between Jesus' resurrection and ascension are far less well known.

While Matthew and Mark's post-resurrection accounts are compartively shorter than Luke and John's, all four Gospels share details that enlighten us on Jesus' life after death.

The Gospels speak of 10 apparitions of the risen Jesus, five of which occur on the day of his resurrection, and five further times before he ascended into heaven. We know from Acts 1 that he was on earth for 40 days, and that he spent these days with his disciples:

"After his suffering, he (Jesus) presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs of that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)

OK, so what did he actually do?





Appeared to women

Jesus revealed himself to Mary Magdalene before any other person. Having just seen Jesus' empty tomb, she remained in the garden weeping, when Jesus appeared to her. She mistook him to be the gardener, but when he called her by name, Mary recognised his voice.

The idea that a woman would be a valid witness may seem plausible in 21st Century western society, but it was unheard of in 1st Century Palestine. The testimony of women was not given the same weight as that of a man, either personally or in a court of law. That Jesus chose to reveal himself to Mary first was revolutionary. He then sent her to "go and tell" the other disciples. He trusted her to tell his followers of his return.

His second appearance was to the group of women who had been with Mary in the graveyard. On their way from having seen the apostles, Jesus appeared to them, and "they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him." (Matthew 28:9)





Appeared to his disciples

Later that day, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to two disciples – one called Cleopas – but they were slow to realise that the man beside them was the risen Messiah. It was not until he broke bread with them, after they had described to him the events of the passion, that "their eyes were opened and they recognised him" (Luke 24.31).

It was not until they recognised him that Jesus left. He did not abandon his disciples when they did not see it was him, but remained with them until they realised that their hearts had been "burning within us while he talked with us".

Similarly, during his next appearance shortly afterwards, Jesus was not perturbed by his disciples mistaking him for a ghost. Instead, he reassured them: "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39)

His life after the resurrection was not the result of sinister spirituality, but of Biblical prophecy. He drew his disciples away from supernatural speculation towards the Biblical foundations of his resurrected body:

"This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24.44).





Appeared to Thomas

We all know the narrative of 'doubting Thomas'. He had not been with the disciples when Jesus revealed himself, and did not believe the disciples testimony, saying: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25)

In this encounter we see both the compassion and the challenge that Jesus brings. Rather than leaving Thomas without faith, Jesus "came and stood among them" – offering peace in order that he might believe, saying: "Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27)





Redeemed and reinstated Peter

The Gospel of John then tells the story of Jesus' last recorded miracle, when he overwhelmed his disciples' fishing nets with a huge catch of fish. He then speaks privately with Peter. Just as Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus asks him three times: "do you love me?" It is here that Peter is restored, having denied his master in his hour of need, and is called to "feed my sheep" and "follow me". (John 21: 17, 19)

Jesus' faithfulness is greater than ours. Jesus saw Peter's weakness, yet he also saw his love for him, and chose to stand by him. Though he saw Peter's limitations, he did not define him by them.





The Great Commission

Matthew and Mark both close with the "Great Commission" – Jesus' instruction to his disciples to go out into the world and spread the good news of salvation.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

It is after this command, on which much of the Christian emphasis on sharing the gospel is based, that Jesus is "taken up into heaven".

Jesus' ministry did not end with his death, but continued through his resurrection and into the days before his ascension into heaven. In this time, he revealed and reaffirmed crucial elements both of his character and his commission.

God bless you.
Christianity Etc › AW Tozer: 10 Quotes From A 20th Century Prophet by winner01(op): 7:36am On Apr 03, 2016
The writer and preacher AW Tozer was profoundly influential during his lifetime (1897-1963) and his books are still widely read today. Born in a tiny farming community in Pennsylvania, he was entirely self-taught. However, he read deeply in literature and theology and thought about what he read – one of his sayings was, "You should think 10 times more than you read." He had a deep and intense prayer life which showed itself in all he wrote.

Tozer was a masterly preacher, with a gift for pithy phrases and rapier-sharp insights into the Bible and the culture of his time. Much of what he said is just as relevant today. Here are 10 AW Tozer quotes that speak powerfully in today's world.

1. We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.

2. When you kill time, remember that it has no resurrection.

3. If man had his way, the plan of redemption would be an endless and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus' fist, but by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by love; not by vengeance but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice.

4. We might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the more cautious reasoning of the theological mind.

5. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. ...Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.

6. Any faith that does not command the one who holds it is not a real belief; it is a pseudo belief only. And it might shock some of us profoundly if we were brought suddenly face to face with our beliefs and forced to test them in the fires of practical living.

7. Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society; it is descending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender.

8. The cross of popular evangelicalism is not the cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of a self-assured and carnal Christianity whose hands are indeed the hands of Abel, but whose voice is the voice of Cain. The old cross slew men; the new cross entertains them. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it. The old cross brought tears and blood; the new cross brings laughter.

9. Your poor heart, in which God put appreciation for everlastingness, will not take electronic gadgets in lieu of eternal life. Something inside of you is too big for that, too terrible, too wonderful. God has set everlastingness in your heart. All the things of this world are here for but a moment and then are gone.

10. If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 per cent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 per cent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.

Christianity Etc › Pastor, Wife Live Out Easter Message By Forgiving Driver Who Killed Their Kids by winner01(op): 12:18am On Apr 03, 2016
A pastor and his wife are living out the meaning of Christ's resurrection by forgiving the truck driver responsible for the death of their two children.

Gentry Eddings, a campus pastor for Forest Hill, a nondenominational and theologically conservative church in Charlotte, and his wife Hadley, a teacher for the church's pre-school, lost their 2 year old son Dobbs and their newborn son Reed in a car crash with a tractor trailer being driven by a driver who was found to be under the influence of heroin at the time of the accident, The Charlotte Observer reported.

The accident happened in May 2015 while they were on their way home from Gentry's sister's wedding.

During the truck driver's sentencing, both husband and wife gave powerful messages that inspired their community to reach deeper into their faiths.

"Words cannot describe how important (Dobbs and Reed) are to us ... Our resurrection hope is to see them again. And that gives us hope. So we understand the magnitude of what's happened. With that in mind, I just wanted you to know that, as Hadley said, we know that it was not your intention for them to die ... That is significant and meaningful for me and for Hadley. Still mistakes were made that led us to this place. But I want you to know that I sincerely forgive you completely," Gentry said.

The truck driver has since been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison.

Since the story broke out, over $100,000 in donations have poured in for a nonprofit group that Forest Hill has partnered with to help with the rebuilding of Haiti. A portion of the funds will be used to build a nine room school called The Dobbs and Reed Grade School in the village of Minoterie.



ref; christiantoday.com

Christianity Etc › Is Jesus The Only Way To Heaven? by winner01(op): 12:06am On Apr 03, 2016
Many people have criticized Christianity and believers in Jesus Christ as being too narrow-minded because we preach that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. They point to the numerous other religions of the world and say, "How can your way be the only way?"

One of the answers to this question is that Jesus himself declared that He was, in fact, God in the flesh.

I and the Father are one. (John 10:30, NASB)

He who has seen Me has seen the Father… (John 14:9b, NASB)


Jesus did not give Christians any other option but to preach that it is only through faith in His sacrificial death on Calvary that we can receive salvation from our sins.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14: 6, NLT)

Jesus claimed to be God. We have to judge his statements about himself as either true or false.

The great British writer and ex-atheist, C. S. Lewis, explained in his well-known book, Mere Christianity, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher; he'd either be a lunatic -- on a level with a man who says he's a poached egg -- or else he'd be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse."

"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."


So Jesus was either a madman, a liar, a myth, or He really was -- and is -- the Son of God.





It's Not About Me

Some people believe that all the religions in the world are basically the same. But that simply is not true. Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe in a personal God who has revealed Himself to mankind. Buddhists and Hindus believe God is impersonal and unknowable. But God cannot be both personal and impersonal -- both concepts cannot be correct.

But Christianity is also different from all other religions of the world in one other vitally important concept -- the idea that God reached out to man to save him because man was helpless to save himself.

Every other religion in the world is based on man's efforts to reach God. These world religions teach that man must somehow do righteous deeds or perform religious service in order to become good enough for salvation. In order to be saved a person must pray a certain number of times, in a certain manner, facing a certain direction. Or he must wear a particular type of religious garment. Or he must visit a certain religious shrine or temple. Or he must worship in a particular way.

Some religions require sacrifice and even the infliction of pain upon a believer in order to become holy in the sight of God. Some extreme religions require adherents to beat themselves with whips or rods to show their devotion to God. Some require pilgrims to crawl on their knees a certain distance in prayer in order to earn righteous points with God. Some religions require worship on Friday; others on Saturday; and others on Sunday.

But in all of this, the striving after righteousness is based on the religious activity of the man or woman. In every other religious system besides Christianity, a spiritual scale hangs over the head of the individual, with all of the sins they have committed on one side and all of their righteous deeds on the other. The person never knows whether they have been good enough, or prayed enough, or worked hard enough to earn the righteous points needed to counter their earned sins.

But the Christian Bible teaches that man is a sinner and could never earn salvation by what he or she did.

As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous—not even one." (Rom. 3:10, NLT)

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Rom. 3:23, NLT)

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. (Is. 64:6a, NLT)


The apostle Paul makes it clear that salvation is available only through the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made when he carried the sins of the world on the cross.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21, NLT)

Jesus never sinned. So He was the only one who could pay the price and carry the sins of all people who ever lived upon himself on the cross. He was the sacrificial lamb who took upon himself the sin of the people.

This salvation comes only through the grace of God toward man, and we can only receive it by faith -- not by any deed that we could ever do.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9, NKJV)

No matter how good you are; no matter how religious you are; no matter what you do for God, you can never be good enough, or holy enough to earn salvation.

Any plan of salvation that is based on the efforts of man is doomed to failure. But the Bible tells us that salvation has been made available to us because Jesus came to earth and bore our sins on the cross.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, NKJV)

All we have to do is believe and receive what Jesus did to bring salvation to us. God has given us the grace to receive salvation; all we have to do is open the door by faith.





Receiving the Free Gift

Jesus Christ declared himself to be the Son of God, the Savior of the World. Now you need to decide how you will respond to his call to "follow me." He declared that He alone is "the way, the truth, and the life -- no one can come to the Father, except through Me."

Will you take the next step now? Will you trust Him to be your Lord and Savior?

Put your life into His hands now. Do what He asks you to do. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He asks you to believe in Him. He asks you to honestly confess your sins to Him and to receive His complete forgiveness. He has a special gift that He wants to give you -- eternal life.

God bless you.

Christianity Etc › Stephen Curry's Shoes Reach Millions For God As Nike's Miss, Cost Them Billions by winner01(op): 11:54pm On Apr 02, 2016
Yesterday multiple news outlets reported on Stephen Curry’s signing to Under Armour breaking the paradigm of the sneaker business model. While this is inherently true, it has also afforded Curry the unique ability to be a Godly witness to a huge audience.

Reports from earlier this month indicated that Nike rejected Curry because of his strong Christian faith and desire to have Bible verses on his sneakers. It was also cited that Kevin Durant’s scripture themed sneakers are custom made for him because that would mean exposing millions to Jesus through a sneaker, something that was not okay for the Nike brand to mass produce. While these claims sort of make sense, and could very well have some truth to it, they have not been verified.

It does draw the interesting question of, “What did Under Armour see in this young-faith-driven point guard that Nike didn’t?” ESPN found the answer, but it has more to do with Curry’s ability to shut the critics down than the scripture on his shoe.

ESPN reported that Nike took Curry for granted, and basically overlooked him in favor of “superstar” players such as Lebron James, Durant, Kobe Bryant, and, of course, Michael Jordan. Curry doesn’t fit that mold, or at least, that’s what they thought.

Morgan Stanley reported UA could potentially make $14 billion off of Curry. That’s $14 billion Nike doesn’t have, and the real value is probably much more because of the prestige of the Nike brand.

Nike is reported to own 95.5% of the sneaker market with 74% of all the NBA signed to them. They make $20 billion annually off their NBA sneakers. And while UA has ways to go to catch them, their sneakers sales are up 350% thanks to Curry, the new thorn in Nike’s side.

So what exactly happened?

In 2013, Curry’s contract was up, and it was time to re-pitch him. According to Curry’s father Dell, the pitch meeting was a disaster as the Nike executive kept referring to Steph as Steph-on. From there, it only got worse as the slides in the pitch featured Durant’s name. Dell told ESPN, he “stopped paying attention after that.”

In addition, a major concern of Curry was the chance to lead a Nike basketball camp for youth ball players. Attending Chris Paul’s camp when he was younger played a major impact on him and he wanted to impart that to the younger generation. These are not a high priority to Nike, especially one run by Curry. Instead, they chose the less proven Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.

Dell told ESPN that his son was used to this adversity as he was merely a walk on for tryouts at his college. All along the way, Curry was told he was too small, or he didn’t have what it takes. Nike was just the next obstacle on his path to the NBA elite. Perhaps it was this encounter of not taking him serious that set the tone for him winning last year’s MVP.

All Nike had to do was match the $4 million Under Armour was offering, but they stood firm at $2.5 million. That offer will undoubtedly haunt Nike for a long time as Curry is seemingly cementing his name in the record books every week.

"Everything that makes him human and cuddly and an unlikely monster is anathema to Nike. They like studs with tight haircuts and muscles,” said Sonny Vaccaro to ESPN, who worked with Nike in the early 90s. "He was always overlooked. He was skinny, he was frail, he was all the things you weren't supposed to be. He never got his due. All of a sudden, like a bolt of lightning, Steph Curry is on the scene. And this is the hardest thing for Nike to swallow right now.”

This makes Curry the most relatable person in the NBA. His size, his grace on the court, and his ability to be the “everyman” is more obtainable than being a hulking sculpturesque athlete like Lebron or Dwight Howard.

The craziest part of the story is how Curry got involved with UA. His former teammate, Kent Bazemore sort of pushed his way into UA. He was nothing but a non-guaranteed rookie trying to make the Golden State Warriors and yet was able to get a deal. He and his agent pitched Under Armour on giving him a chance, and he would be the “brand ambassador.” Knowing that Curry’s contract with Nike was up, he pitched his teammate on the idea and Curry took a meeting. The rest is history.

“We have the right athlete in Stephen Curry,” Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank told said in a presentation earlier this year. “He is, without question, the number one basketball player on the planet today.”

Circling back to Curry’s faith, his pairing with Under Armour has allowed him to share his Christianity on a global scale. All of Curry’s sneakers feature a Bible verse or Christian imagery on it.

Last year Under Armour released the Curry One, which featured the tagline "Charged By Belief" and 4:13 on the tongue, a nod to Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

The slogan for the Curry Two is "Iron Sharpens Iron.” Proverbs 27:17 reads, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

Curry’s commercials and brands look to inspire and motivate, which Nike’s do as well. However, in their new commercial, they chose to take shots at Curry and play up the “superstar” image they didn’t deem Curry worthy of.

So there you have it, the unlikely story of going from zero to hero, of Goliath getting beaten by David, of the bullied getting the best of the bully. Stephen Curry and Under Armour’s stories are similar, against unbeatable odds, they managed to buck the system.




Ref; http://rapzilla.com/rz/features/12995-stephen-curry-s-shoes-reach-millions-for-god-as-nike-s-miss-cost-them-billions

Christianity Etc › Re: Quotes From Famous Men About The Bible. by winner01(op): 2:31pm On Mar 27, 2016
Happy easter
Christianity Etc › Re: The World Of Persecuted Christians In 2015 by winner01(op): 2:30pm On Mar 27, 2016
God2man:
Hmnnn
huh
Christianity Etc › Re: The 7 Mountains; (this Will Change Your Life Forever) by winner01(op): 2:26pm On Mar 27, 2016
GiggsTk:
Interesting. Please let's read and apply to our lives and not just read through alone.
True.
Christianity Etc › Re: More Than 500 Rescued By International Anti-slavery Organisation IJM by winner01(op): 2:19pm On Mar 27, 2016
May the blessings of easter be yours.

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