tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post115445784186259956..comments2024-03-28T02:14:44.757-07:00Comments on Bullfrog's BLOG: The Good NewsBullfroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155572290851863472006-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:002006-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:00Probably the most important Bible verse regarding ...Probably the most important Bible verse regarding faith is the following:<BR/><BR/>Rom 10:17-18<BR/>17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. <BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>So, faith comes through the word of God and doesn't just magically appear. The most commonly used verse describing faith in Christian circles is:<BR/><BR/>Heb 11:1<BR/>11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>This gets close to defining it, but I think it is a bit confusing at first. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is commonly known as "The Hall of Faith" because it lists Old Testament people who lived and acted by faith. A verse further down the chapter sheds a little light on this:<BR/><BR/>Heb 11:13<BR/>13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>...and this...<BR/><BR/>Heb 11:39<BR/>39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>Ultimately, it is not faith itself, but the object of that faith that is really what is important. When God's word builds our faith, He becomes the object of that faith. And He is forever faithful and never dissappoints.<BR/><BR/>Heb 10:23<BR/>23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>Gen 15:6<BR/>6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. <BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>Rom 4:20-22<BR/>20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. <BR/>(from New International Version)Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155471671445779632006-08-13T05:21:00.000-07:002006-08-13T05:21:00.000-07:00I have so many questions at this point, but I thin...I have so many questions at this point, but I think we should clarify something so that I understand where you are coming from.<BR/><BR/>How do you define/explain "faith"?Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155437721212423942006-08-12T19:55:00.000-07:002006-08-12T19:55:00.000-07:00@OTB: The truth of the Gospel is available to ever...@OTB: The truth of the Gospel is available to everyone, and in fact, I believe there are few who are not familiar with the story of Jesus; His birth, life, death, and resurrection. That is the key to salvation and while it is true that ultimately it takes faith to believe, and that faith is God given, if you believe Jesus died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God and accept Him as your Savior, God honors that. Trying to intellectualize faith is certainly interesting, but not really that beneficial spiritually, because if we hold out until we understand everything, we really are not acting by faith at all.<BR/><BR/>When I asked Jesus to be my savior, I had zero understanding of what faith was, or if God gave it to me before or after my conversion. It didn't matter.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155377205217302272006-08-12T03:06:00.000-07:002006-08-12T03:06:00.000-07:00Ok, I think I understand the Heaven and Hell part....Ok, I think I understand the Heaven and Hell part. They are actual places (although spiritual) and they seem to be, according to your beliefs, what people traditionally picture when thinking of them.<BR/><BR/>But I do want to double-check the "Getting into Heaven or Hell" part.<BR/><BR/>If I understand you correctly, I need God's gift of faith before I can accept Christ, which (to my knowledge) hasn't happened as of yet, so if I were to die today an angel would deem me "wicked" and throw me into the...<I>wait, let me read that again, yes, yes, that's it</I>, a <B>fiery furnace</B>, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.<BR/><BR/>Or if I were explaining it to a 10 year old:<BR/><BR/>In order to not go to Hell, you need to believe in Jesus, but that can't happen until God lets you. Try not to die before then, kid.<BR/><BR/>Sorry for being a bit facetious, but do I have it right?Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155319773786200202006-08-11T11:09:00.000-07:002006-08-11T11:09:00.000-07:00What are the rewards and punishments according to ...What are the rewards and punishments according to the Bible (upon death)? And how do they work?<BR/><BR/>The Bible teaches a literal Heaven:<BR/><BR/>Rev 7:16<BR/>16 Never again will they hunger; <BR/>never again will they thirst. <BR/>The sun will not beat upon them, <BR/>nor any scorching heat.<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>and Hell:<BR/><BR/>Matt 13:49-50<BR/>49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>There are alot of places in the Bible that descrbe Heaven and Hell, but as the author is using earthly language to describe spiritual places, describing them accurately is difficult and ultimately one must see them with their own eyes to full appreciate what is being described. Suffice it to say, Heaven is meant to reward and Hell is meant to be a deterrent and a punishment.<BR/><BR/>I think I was pretty clear about how to go to either place. It hinges on accepting or rejecting the sacrifice of Christ as a propitiation for your sin.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155257806625152172006-08-10T17:56:00.000-07:002006-08-10T17:56:00.000-07:00Again, not sure how to phrase this question, so be...Again, not sure how to phrase this question, so bear with me.<BR/><BR/>What are the rewards and punishments according to the Bible (upon death)? And how do they work?<BR/><BR/>(Basically, is there Heaven and Hell or is more complicated than that, and how do you get into them?)Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155225196475144002006-08-10T08:53:00.000-07:002006-08-10T08:53:00.000-07:00LOL! I didn't even realize when I chose Silver as ...LOL! I didn't even realize when I chose Silver as the horses name that I was choosing the famous moniker of the Lone Ranger. And I thought I had picked one at random.<BR/><BR/>I suppose the concept of "random" could be part of this discussion as well.<BR/><BR/>Look forward to your questions.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155176028197173902006-08-09T19:13:00.000-07:002006-08-09T19:13:00.000-07:00Please don't get the wrong impression. I'm not att...Please don't get the wrong impression. I'm not attempting to "lure" you in or anything like that.<BR/><BR/>Whether Free Will is a current post on my blog or not, it is a common question that I ask of Christians. I always find their answers interesting. Probably because they are always different. This is the first time that I have ever been The Lone Ranger, so this one is definitely my favorite!<BR/><BR/>More questions to come.Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155157760101707892006-08-09T14:09:00.000-07:002006-08-09T14:09:00.000-07:00@OTB: The free will question. I saw this debate on...@OTB: The free will question. I saw this debate on your blog and thought you might draw me in at some point.<BR/><BR/>Free will may be something that we can never fully explain, but I believe our will is ultimately not really free, as it is influenced by many factors. A very simplistic analogy that <I>almost</I> explains it adequately:<BR/><BR/>You own a horse named Silver and it is once again time for Silver to eat. You lead Silver to 2 troughs; one filled with oats and hay, the other filled with roast beef.<BR/><BR/>Which trough will Silver eat from?<BR/><BR/>The answer is easy, Silver will eat hay every time because that is what horses eat, that is what appeals to them. So the question becomes, if Silver NEVER chooses to eat the roast beef and we can predict with 100% accuracy which trough he will choose, is his will <I>really</I> free?<BR/><BR/>How that applies to you and I is referred to as the universality of sin, the concept that, unless God intervenes in a devine way and enables us to choose Him, we will only choose evil.<BR/><BR/>Ps 14:2-3<BR/><BR/>2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.<BR/>3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one<BR/>KJV<BR/><BR/>Jer 4:22<BR/>22 "My people are fools;<BR/>they do not know me.<BR/>They are senseless children;<BR/>they have no understanding.<BR/>They are skilled in doing evil;<BR/>they know not how to do good." <BR/>KJV<BR/><BR/>Rom 3:10-11<BR/>There is no one righteous, not even one; <BR/> 11 there is no one who understands, <BR/>no one who seeks God. <BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>In order fo us to choose Him, God must initiate:<BR/><BR/>Isa 65:1-3<BR/>I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;<BR/>I was found by those who did not seek me.<BR/>To a nation that did not call on my name,<BR/>I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' <BR/>2 All day long I have held out my hands <BR/>to an obstinate people,<BR/>who walk in ways not good,<BR/>pursuing their own imaginations-- <BR/>3 a people who continually provoke me <BR/>to my very face,<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>Obviously, this is a concept that I still meditate on as I have not yet fully grasped it, but suffice it to say, salvation depends on God and God alone (and His gift of faith) and not my ability to willfully choose good over evil.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155156482997290222006-08-09T13:48:00.000-07:002006-08-09T13:48:00.000-07:00Thanks again, Bullfrog.Upon reading your answer to...Thanks again, Bullfrog.<BR/><BR/>Upon reading your answer to my first question, "What is God's greatest gift?", I thought "but without Free Will nothing else could happen."<BR/><BR/>But then I read your second answer.<BR/><BR/>I'm sure I'm wrong, but it certainly sounds like there is no Free Will, or at least very little, when it comes to believing in God.<BR/><BR/>Using phrases like "God's gift of faith" make it sound otherwise, but it's certainly there.<BR/><BR/>Am I getting it wrong?Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155141751086665902006-08-09T09:42:00.000-07:002006-08-09T09:42:00.000-07:00I'm still waiting....I'm still waiting....Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01515523400127073358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1155057831112705452006-08-08T10:23:00.000-07:002006-08-08T10:23:00.000-07:00What do you consider to be God's greatest gift?The...<B>What do you consider to be God's greatest gift?</B><BR/><BR/>The gift of eternal life through His son Jesus Christ surpasses all.<BR/><BR/><B>What would it take for you to doubt, much less change, your belief in God/Jesus?</B><BR/><BR/>Salvation is by faith alone as I have specified before. This faith is a gift from God, and not something I can "muster up" by the power of my own will. As also stated before, man is utterly sinful and cannot, in and of himself choose God unless God grants him the faith to do so. By that same token, it is also God who causes us to persevere.<BR/><BR/>So to answer your question, God would have to rescind the gift of faith in order for me to fall away.<BR/><BR/>Rom 8:29-30<BR/>29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. <BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>John 10:28-29<BR/>28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. <BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>Ezek 36:24-27<BR/>24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.<BR/>(from New International Version)Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154991187765171202006-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:002006-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:00Ok, two more questions!What do you consider to be ...Ok, two more questions!<BR/><BR/>What do you consider to be God's greatest gift?<BR/><BR/>What would it take for you to doubt, much less change, your belief in God/Jesus?Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154967540552717162006-08-07T09:19:00.000-07:002006-08-07T09:19:00.000-07:00@Grey: Glad you enjoyed it. I did some research on...@Grey: Glad you enjoyed it. I did some research on the extra biblical gospels, ie. "The Book of Judas" and it doesn;t take long to see why they are have no credibility with serious Bible scholars as they were written centuries after the events they supposedly depict, and although were named for specific Bible characters, were authored by someone else. These accounts are particularly intriguing to Gnostics and anyone looking for reasons to discredit God's word.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154905471957596502006-08-06T16:04:00.000-07:002006-08-06T16:04:00.000-07:00Great post....my question would be about what do y...Great post....my question would be about what do you think about the alleged "missing books" of the Bible and its role in how people argue its authenticity.Mr. Grey Ghosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196453916455757238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154631055626574502006-08-03T11:50:00.000-07:002006-08-03T11:50:00.000-07:00@OTB: I think many blow out of proportion the infl...@OTB: I think many blow out of proportion the influence tha Catholic church had on the Holy Bible. If you are speaking specifically the Council of Nicea, my research shows no there was no revision of the Bible as a result of that, and in fact they only met to discuss heresies and the deity of Jesus Christ as it was being challenged by a small group of gnostics at that time.<BR/><BR/>Maybe you will find these 2 reads interesting:<BR/><BR/>1. <A HREF="http://bullfrogsblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/testimony-of-jeremiah-robinson.html" REL="nofollow">My testimony</A>, or how I came to be a Christian.<BR/><BR/>2. Some research I did on the <A HREF="http://bullfrogsblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/historicity-of-new-testament.html" REL="nofollow">Historicity of the New Testament</A>.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154617411600288142006-08-03T08:03:00.000-07:002006-08-03T08:03:00.000-07:00Again, thanks, Bullfrog.Another question, if I may...Again, thanks, Bullfrog.<BR/><BR/>Another question, if I may:<BR/><BR/>(I'm not sure how to phrase it, so please bear with me.)<BR/><BR/>Considering the enormous amount of translations that the Bible/Gospels went through til they finally made it to you, and taking into account the...hmmmm, let's say "influence" that the Bible was under from the Catholic church, how do you accept the Bible so readily?Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154476632677677472006-08-01T16:57:00.000-07:002006-08-01T16:57:00.000-07:00Great question. You probably noticed the absence o...Great question. You probably noticed the absence of any regulations or rituals in the gospel (good news) I presented, and that is no accident.<BR/><BR/>The Bible teaches that genuine faith produces good works, in fact, it says "Faith without deeds is dead". An important distinction is that faith comes before works, not vice-versa.<BR/><BR/>True believers would exhibit a change in behavior, desires, etc. as a response to what God is doing in their heart.<BR/><BR/>James 2:26<BR/>26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.<BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>What is important to note here is that any behavior change only glorifies God and does not change our standing with Him. Our justification is attained on behalf of the death and resurrection of Christ, and we need not add to that any works.<BR/><BR/>Eph 2:8-10<BR/>8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. <BR/>(from New International Version)<BR/><BR/>Some religions, and even some claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ, refute this assertion because they believe we are responsible for exhibiting good behavior. I believe this is a matter of simple pride, our desire to do something good for God or earn our salvation somehow. This contradicts and even belittles the sacrifice made by Christ on our behalf, implying that His precious blood that was spilled was ineffectual in accomplishing it's goal.<BR/><BR/>The Bible teaches that when the body dies, the soul separates and is judged. Those whose name is written in God's "Book of Life" go to be with God for eternity, while the rest go to Hell, which is described as an eternity separated from God. It is referred to as "eternal fire", <BR/>"the unquenchable fire" and "where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."<BR/>(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)<BR/><BR/>Needless to say, it is a place of eternal torment, but the nature of that torment is debated.<BR/><BR/>The suggestion that this earth is hell is held by some, but the Bible doesn't support that, although as inhabitants of the earth we experience the consequence of the fall of Adam all the time, and are subject to trials.Bullfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12019620619450825193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20044969.post-1154474095482518152006-08-01T16:14:00.000-07:002006-08-01T16:14:00.000-07:00Thanks, Bullfrog.I have a couple of questions.Is i...Thanks, Bullfrog.<BR/><BR/>I have a couple of questions.<BR/><BR/>Is it necessary to live one's life a certain way?<BR/><BR/>Is Hell all fire and brimstone?<BR/>Or is Hell, as some explain, simply the absense of God in one's life? Or is it afterlife?Outside the Boxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761797457652680431noreply@blogger.com