Thanks for your comment, it is encouraging to be encouraging to others as I have been encouraged by Christ:
Not sure if I sent this to you before or not?
Ron Dart (https://www.borntowin.net/) use to paraphrase 2Corinthians 1:3-7 as follows, which I think expresses the intent of the verse well:
"Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies and the God of all encouragement;
Who encourages us in all our troubles that we may be able to encourage others which are in any trouble through the encouragement wherewith we ourselves are encouraged by God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our encouragement also abounds by Christ.
And whether we be troubled it is for your encouragement and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be encouraged it is also for your encouragement and salvation.
And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the troubles, so shall you also be of the encouragement. (2Cor 1:3-7)
I certainly don't endorse everything that Ron Dart said but he gets you thinking...
I really thank you for what you have shared in the absolute truths of our Heavenly fathers words, and in how to called and be his friend just as Abraham was called a friend of God.
You state something I found a bit odd though. I could have misunderstood or misconstrued what you actually meant? You seemed to imply that we do not have a soul or consciousness that continues after we die?
Gods word and Jesus Christ Himself state something entirely different. It's ultimately where that soul goes on to reside is the concluding question.
I agree that unless we are born again and redeemed reconciled into newness of spirit life and regenerated in Christ Jesus we indeed are dead zombies walking. And many who think they are reborn are actually still born. I don't know if you believe as Gods word states that such unsaved souls after death are tormented eternally. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28; Matt 25:41; Rev 20:6; Mark 9:43; Rev 20
Jesus said: "Because I live, you shall live also". That is because He is alive and He gives the Holy Spirit to those who want to follow Him, so they live IN HIM and He in them. They WILL overcome IN HIM.
John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Without Jesus we have no life, we have no Spirit and we can do nothing. Unregenerate minds, hearts lives, souls and spirits only live for their carnal fleshly desires and driven like beastly animals to fulfil such.
Ecclesiastes 3:17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 18 I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts. 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Thanks for your comment, it is encouraging to be encouraging to others as I have been encouraged by Christ:
Not sure if I sent this to you before or not?
Ron Dart (https://www.borntowin.net/) use to paraphrase 2Corinthians 1:3-7 as follows, which I think expresses the intent of the verse well:
"Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies and the God of all encouragement;
Who encourages us in all our troubles that we may be able to encourage others which are in any trouble through the encouragement wherewith we ourselves are encouraged by God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our encouragement also abounds by Christ.
And whether we be troubled it is for your encouragement and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be encouraged it is also for your encouragement and salvation.
And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the troubles, so shall you also be of the encouragement. (2Cor 1:3-7)
I certainly don't endorse everything that Ron Dart said but he gets you thinking...
Thanks again for your comment.
I really thank you for what you have shared in the absolute truths of our Heavenly fathers words, and in how to called and be his friend just as Abraham was called a friend of God.
You state something I found a bit odd though. I could have misunderstood or misconstrued what you actually meant? You seemed to imply that we do not have a soul or consciousness that continues after we die?
Gods word and Jesus Christ Himself state something entirely different. It's ultimately where that soul goes on to reside is the concluding question.
I agree that unless we are born again and redeemed reconciled into newness of spirit life and regenerated in Christ Jesus we indeed are dead zombies walking. And many who think they are reborn are actually still born. I don't know if you believe as Gods word states that such unsaved souls after death are tormented eternally. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28; Matt 25:41; Rev 20:6; Mark 9:43; Rev 20
Jesus said: "Because I live, you shall live also". That is because He is alive and He gives the Holy Spirit to those who want to follow Him, so they live IN HIM and He in them. They WILL overcome IN HIM.
John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Without Jesus we have no life, we have no Spirit and we can do nothing. Unregenerate minds, hearts lives, souls and spirits only live for their carnal fleshly desires and driven like beastly animals to fulfil such.
Ecclesiastes 3:17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 18 I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts. 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Romans 1:18~31
Thanks for your comment and scripture quotes.
You are absolutely correct:
"It's ultimately where that soul goes on to reside is the concluding question."
And a big question that needs to be addressed in full.
It is a bit confusing and will take some time to clarify, which I don't have at the moment, but will get back to you over the next couple of days
Cheers for now
Martin
I have written a reply, but Substack comes up saying it is too long to put as a comment, so I will need an email to send it to you.
Can I send it to Hephzibah@hephzibah78 ??? will that get to you?
hephzibah78@proton.me