how does the bible work?

The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 14:

You can memorize all you want, but it is the Spirit who brings what you have memorized from God's Holy Word to your remembrance.

 

For we walk by faith not by sight. Jesus, after His resurrection told Thomas that those who believe without seeing are those who are more blessed.

 

You wrote all that. None of it is true. You wrote it. So your analysis stinks. I think people are going to have to confront your internal Q&A if they are going to make any headway. I don't know. Tough assignment. Do you still live at home? What do your parents think? Girlfriend? Neighbors? Can you walk up to a cop on the street and just visit?

 

Hold on to your seat, but HBSMN and I actually agree on something :laugh: .

 

Heb 4 "The Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE and sharper than a two edged sword".

Eph 6 "PUT on the FULL Armor of God SO THAT you may stand -- and having done EVERYTHING stand firm against the devil."

If you simply "toy" with the Word of God - you get nothing. If it is all a game to you - a puzzle to be worked, a basis for asking a zillion puzzling questions without actually diving in -- then you are always holding freedom at arm's length.

The bible is not a science text or a how-to manual - it is the "Word of God".

The "supernatural" aspect is that as you READ the Bible the Holy Spirit draws near - if you are doing this in prayer - taking time with it... even praying THROUGH the Bible -- then HE SPEAKS to your heart while you read!

But if you treat the book as "so much national geographic" to be criticisized, doubted, and tossed about in some kind of game - the Holy Spirit stands back and you miss the "encounter".

"Be STILL and know that I am God" -- He says that because you DO have to do something -- you have to STOP playing games - stop toying with God.. Stop, listen, be still --- then READ in an attitude of prayer.

Open your Bible with the prayer "Create in me a clean heart oh God"

You can't "out think God" -- this is not a quiz.

Go to God in prayer - set your case before him... Go ahead and Complain some - but then hold up to God the promises of scripture in prayer. Stay in prayer "wait" -- don't simply jump up and run off as if this was an encounter with a magic lamp that did not work.

Your "supposed" to be "Giving up"!

That is the whole point!

Your supposed to stop - and let God -- by quiting all the games all the quizes all the "tell me how is God going to figure that one out" style games where you are not in the Bible, not in prayer and mediation - but just playing games with the board.

In Rev 3 we find God "Standing at the door and knocking - IF ANYONE hears his voice and opens the door HE WILL come in".

In Matt 11 at the end of the Chapter Christ said "LISTEN everyone - COME to me all you who Labor and are heavy ladened and I will give you rest".

In Isaiah 55 "LISTEN everyone who thirsts COME to the waters"

God calls out to ALL - but trying to "game God" does not work. When you come to him - you have to surrender.

In Christ,

Bob

 

2 Tim. 3:
14: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I don't think I could add anything to this.

 

Well lets think of the Bible as a text book for a minute.

Think of the Bible as a text book with basic info for living. Then think of the Holy Spirit as your on the job trainer. You read the Bible for information on how to live and how to be saved. Your on the job trainer reminds you of the information you have read when you are on the job and also adds His information that you need to know. Both reading the text bood and listining to the instructor are important and needed to do the job right.

Ok I took a shot at useing your analogy.

Oh and the difference between the Bible and the quran. Our text book has correct information. The quran has wrong information.

 

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Rom. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Gal. 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

XDX~ your free! As far as reading the word, my husband has been reading for 20 years since he got saved and just now has been getting some of the nuggets. Pray and ask God to help you.

Jam 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 

BobRyan got it right in his post #6. It's right on target for a change, xdx. You can take what he wrote to the bank -- God's bank.

raying: raying: raying:

 

You are very close to the truth here. God does things in our lives when we stop questioning him, stop debating him, stop presenting illogical scenarios, stop using faulty logic, stop advancing ridiculous arguments, stop internet searches for one preacher after another --- in short, just STOP all that. Jesus says that we find rest in him, not all the stuff that you wrestle with.

SEE THE ABOVE!!!!! STOP COMPLAINING!!!!!

Amazing. You You You You. You do it all. Of course you get weary. It isn't your job to do it all.

Exactly. Precisely. So when are you going to let God take over? The bible says that in all your ways you are to acknowledge him. As long as I've been on the BB I've never seen you acknowledge him until the first quote on this page, and this last quote. Take what I'm telling you to heart. STOP all this stuff you are doing. One poster after another tells you that. So when are you going to do that?

 

Amen! THIS is how the Bible "works".

 

Actually, xdx, the Bible doesn't "work" -- God works. The Bible tells us how He does it. And how to follow Him.

Part of giving up to Him is dying to self, but 'self' is all most of us seem to be reading in most of your posts. Give up looking at yourself and look at Him and at others. Switch your attention and follow Him. That's really hard to do if all you are doing is examining yourself.

 

Jesus was not always friendly and patient. He was always full of love though.

Remember the story of the moneychangers in the market place?

Remember those he called 'whited sepulchres?

The truth of the matter is, Jesus did get angry at times. And when He got angry, people knew it.

 

xdx,

bmerr here. It's hard to know where to start sometimes. I suppose I'd remind you that you possess something that the people we read about in the Bible did not have. You have God's word in it's complete, written form. This by itself does not guarantee spiritual success, but it's a start.

As Bob pointed out earlier, we are to study God's word (2 Tim 2:15). The reason we are to study is that the Holy Spirit does not miraculously impart knowledge to men anymore. There is no need, since the word is complete and confirmed (1 Cor 13:10).

Before you get ahead of yourself, i'd suggest you study the book of Acts, and compare the accounts of conversions found there, making note of the similarities in each account. I believe you will find a pattern. Compare your "conversion experience" with what you find in the Bible, and determine if you have actually been saved, or if you have merely become religious. It happens quite often, I assure you.

In Christ,

bmerr

 

Amen, bmerr!