Test xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Is this better for you?

I will never stop speaking the truth and I will always keep clinging to the real Truth

How can you cling to the truth or even know the truth until you know Christ?

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..."

If Jesus is THE truth, and you don't know Him (and you don't), how can you be so sure that you have the "real" truth in other areas of knowledge and understanding?

How can you cling to the truth or even know the truth until you know Christ? How do I know truth? Presenting this question to me as a deep philosophical puzzle is suitable for you to ask someone so “brainy” to tackle. The answer is simple. Truth is what corresponds to reality. Consequently, what is real is true, what is unreal is false. You constantly reference the Bible in that it makes some very distinctive truth claims. These claims the Bible makes either correspond to reality or they do not. You believe that they do correspond to reality. Explain how you really know this. That’s an excellent question since so much is at stake in the Christian faith in terms of the truthfulness of Scripture. The Bible is primary source for Christians on information about Jesus and about all of those things Christians embrace as elements of their faith. Explain why you are persuaded that the Bible is the truth? I will then ask a broader question and that is: How do you know that anything is true? I am asking you a a technical question in epistemology. How do you test claims of truth? Is there a certain kind of truth that you test through observation, experimentation, eyewitness, examination, and scientific evidence – or, what do you use? On second thought, do you test the claims of truth through the test of rationality? Is it logically consistent, or does it smack with inconsistency? If you use the Bible, how do you determine the content of Scripture to see if is coherent? One of the most astonishing things, of course, is that the Bible has literally thousands of testable historical prophecies, cases and stories where almost countless events were foretold. Do you merely search among those literally thousands of stories until you find one that supports your belief and then declare: Ah Ha – Here is Truth. I hold no doubt that you do this – Cherry pick the verses that you like in order to support an idea or point that you are trying to make, while ignoring other verses that you don’t like, or don’t agree with.

Explain why you are persuaded that the Bible is the truth?

I will then ask a broader question and that is: How do you know that anything is true?

Well, I'll try to be brief...

First, there has to be some absolute truth in the universe somewhere. So we begin there.

1. Christ says He is the truth.

2. Then Christ says that the Word of God is truth.

3. Finally, He says His Spirit (Whom He calls the Spirit of Truth) will lead His people into All truth. ALL truth!

However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth...John16:13

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words...1cor2:13

Which naturally leads me to your second excellent question:

On second thought, do you test the claims of truth...

This really touches on the failure of the Church today. You can easily see this failure, and it derives from this very question you asked.

Test all things; hold fast what is good...1thes5:21

Test ALL things! All things! Prove everything.

The Church is very good at testing Scripture. And we Christians do test scripture. Just go to any good Bible school and teenagers will be there hammering away at any questionable text, any weakness (because that's what teens do best). And the prof had better be on his game or he'll be eaten alive.

However. However! The Church fails miserably at testing and proving everything else...day-to-day stuff. Stuff in the news. Stuff politicians say. Events that happen...on and on. This has been the sad case of the Church for the past 125 years minimum. Especially as soon as we got "rich", toward the end of the 19th century. This failure is why we have no salt and light to offer the world today, and are being "trampled underfoot by men".

To sum it up: we have an example of truth (Christ), Who guides us by His Word and His Spirit to (eventually) all truth. It's really part of a relationship we have with God, as we are told to know and love the truth.

I could go on, get long winded, but will spare you that for now.

Well, I'll try to be brief... I don’t care if your are brief or not – I want you to be factually correct. Christ says He is the truth. Let’s STOP right here before we go any further. I need you to tell me how you know “Christ says that?” Then we shall proceed …

I will continue … However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth...John16:13 How did John know this to be Truthful? And why is the Gospel of John the Bible’s most “enigmatic gospel?”

I need you to tell me how you know “Christ says that?”

His claim of being 'the truth' is recorded in the Bible.

So, in a broader sense you are inquiring "did Christ really say that"? and "can the Bible be trusted to be accurate and trustworthy, especially in regard to Who Christ claims to be"?

This is where systematic theology comes in handy. Systematic theology systematically lays out the proof needed to make an airtight case that would verify that Christ is Who He says He is, and that His Words were accurately recorded, for example, by multiple witnesses.

Even before His arrival, prophets (under the penalty of death) began to foretell of Immanuel (God with us). The prophets got very specific.

Then, while He was here, multitudes both friend and foe acknowledged what He said and did, including historians like Josephus.

And after He left, His Spirit fell upon humans to confirm the truth of His Words.

One translation says it this way:

And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

Now, on a personal level most people start to believe what Jesus said on a more visceral level. They are usually the ones weighted down by the cares of this life, wondering what this life is all about. Why am I here? Why am I dying? Why?

Systematic theology is not going to work for these folks. They are looking for something, some truth to believe in. All this to say, that they find ONE thing in the Bible they can accept as truth, that being: they are sinful. This is the one truth that every single person can acknowledge. And it's in the Bible. So they begin to have that connection with the Bible. They can trust the Bible on that, if nothing else. And then they begin to look at the other truths to see if they can agree on those as well.

So you can take your pick. You can trust that Jesus says He is the truth based on sound theology confirmed over thousands of years, or, you can find that one truth in Scripture that you cannot deny, and start from there.

This is how I know that Christ's claim of being the truth is in fact credible and trustworthy.

I need you to tell me how you know “Christ says that?” His claim of being 'the truth' is recorded in the Bible. You say “his claim.” A claim is defined as: State or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof. Pay attention to the part that states: … typically without providing evidence or proof. Where is the “proof” – Where is the “Truth?” Show me …

So, in a broader sense you are inquiring "did Christ really say that"? and "can the Bible be trusted to be accurate and trustworthy, especially in regard to Who Christ claims to be"? Indeed I am … This is where systematic theology comes in handy … , “systematic theology … … is any study that answers the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us today?’ about any given topic.” So, who gets to decide if the study under systematic theology is the Truth? And how can he/she/they be believed?

One translation says it this way … And of course there are translation mistakes in the Bible. In the original Hebrew, the 10th Commandment prohibits taking, not coveting. The biblical Jubilee year is named for an animal’s horn and has nothing to do with jubilation. The pregnant woman in Isaiah 7:14 is never called a virgin. Psalm 23 opens with an image of God’s might and power, not shepherding. And the romantic Song of Solomon offers a surprisingly modern message. But most people who read the Bible don’t know these things. They definitely should because extensive translation gaffs conceal the Bible’s original meaning.

So you can take your pick. You can trust that Jesus says He is the truth You are not trusting “what Jesus said” – You are putting all your trust and faith in what “some said that Jesus said.” The Bible spans centuries of history, contains a variety of literary styles and varied languages with translations of words that have different meanings in those different languages. So the Bible is really just what some people say. Tge Bible is not a book that arrived in complete form at one point in history. Instead – the Bible was written over a period of some 1,500 years by a great number of authors. Although it is viewed as one book, it’s actually a collection of many books. How do you know what so many different people said is the absolute Truth? After all, Isn't the Bible just a collection of stories and myths? Even if it contains some history, how can you trust it so completely? Despite feverish searching with Scripture in one hand and cutting-edge technology in the other, evidence backing the Bible remains elusive. Beauty and biblical evidence both lie in the eye of the beholder, it seems. No evidence of the events described in the Book of Genesis has ever been found. No city walls have been found at Jericho, from the appropriate era, that could have been toppled by Joshua or otherwise. The stone palace uncovered at the foot of Temple Mount in Jerusalem could attest that King David had been there; or it might belong to another era entirely, depending who you ask. But someone said it happened, and you believe it happened. You believe it happened ONLY because you want to believe it. Where is the Truth that it did happen? Show me …

This is how I know that Christ's claim of being the truth is in fact credible and trustworthy. No, you don’t know that. To know means to … … be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information. You have no personal observations on anything that happened in the Bible. You have made no inquiry to that great number of authors who wrote a book over a period of some 1500 years. And the only information have is hearsay – what someone said? So, you don’t KNOW a damned thing. You only BELIVE what someone wrote – and you only believe it because you want to. And that is okay – you have the right to hold that belief. But don’t spread the bullshit that it is all veritable Truth. For it isn’t …

… be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information.

You just described theology...systematic theology.

You have no personal observations on anything that happened in the Bible.

Yes, I do. The Bible is "living and active". The Bible is alive through God's Spirit. The Bible interacts with a Christian in a personal and observable way.

You only BELIVE what someone wrote – and you only believe it because you want to.

The very same thing can be said about your belief in covid.

… be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information. You just described theology...systematic theology. No, I just gave you a definition of knowledge and you are maliciously spinning that definition to incorrectly associate it with systematic theology. According to some theologians in evangelical circles, systematic theology is used to refer to the topical collection and exploration of the content of the Bible, in which a different perspective is provided on the Bible's message than that garnered simply by reading the biblical narratives, poems, proverbs, and letters as a story of redemption or as a manual for how to live a godly life. The danger is a tendency to assign technical definitions to terms based on a few passages and then read that meaning everywhere the term is used in the Bible. Pay particular close attention to the passage where it is said that in systematic theology – “a different perspective is provided on the Bible's message than that garnered simply by reading the Bible.” Repeating: “A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIBVE.” So carefully understand this is saying that with systematic theology, you are being told what to think and you are not allowed to form your own conclusions from simply reading the Bible. In systematic theology, you are being indoctrinated – brain washed – with a “different perspective of what provided in the Bible's messages.” I am not making this shit up. Read the quote again – it is what “some theologians in evangelical circles” are saying.

You have no personal observations on anything that happened in the Bible. Yes, I do. The Bible is "living and active". The Bible is alive through God's Spirit. The Bible interacts with a Christian in a personal and observable way. Reading the Bible in not having personal observations. You are reading about the observations by others. And you form “beliefs” from the observations by others.

You only BELIVE what someone wrote – and you only believe it because you want to. The very same thing can be said about your belief in covid. There can be no clearer tacit admission by you that: You only BELIVE what someone wrote – and you only believe it because you want to. Thank you for your honesty – At least on this one point.

What’s wrong with systematic theology? Last weekend during a church service the leader talked about a training scheme which the church is running saying something along the lines of we study the Bible in more detail using Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. Now, I might be awkward, but I’m far from convinced that studying a systematic theology is a good way to learn about the Bible. To be honest, I’m not sure it’s a good way to learn anything, apart from the cultural and theological presuppositions of the author. The problem with systematic theologies, is that they are systematic. God’s revelation to us in the Bible is not systematic. It’s messy, it’s complicated, it tells the story of people who mess up, of God who gets involved in the life of his creation and redeems it. The Bible narrative is compelling; sometimes exciting, sometimes complicated but it is not systematic. God did not give us a system, he gave us a story. Systematic theologians go through the story, drawing threads together to make into a system – but the story isn’t neat and tidy and some bits don’t fit into their systems. What’s more, the system they choose is determined by their own background. Now, you might take a weighty systematic theology book and read through and think that it contains everything that you might ever want to know about God and the Bible. But as a challenge, look up the section on the theology of ancestors. You probably won’t find one. Yet, the Bible has tons to say about ancestors, think about the chapter upon chapter of begatting in the Old Testament. If that isn’t teaching on ancestors, what is? A systematic theology written by an African or an Asian might well have pages and pages on ancestors – but it doesn’t fit the system here in the West. This becomes a problem when (as often happens) people start to mistake the system for the message of the Bible. Important things (like ancestors) are left out because they don’t fit the system and other things get systematised to death (try reading what Grudem has to say about the Trinity) and lose the relational aspect that breaths life into the Scriptures. My suspicion is that western minds, conditioned by a philosophical tradition that goes back thousands of years, default naturally to putting things into systems. Linnaeus did a great job systematising the natural world and the periodic table of the elements is a thing of beauty, but I remain unconvinced that what works for natural sciences actually works for the God who created nature. . Repeating: I’m not sure systematic thrology is a good way to learn anything, apart from the cultural and theological presuppositions of the author. https://www.kouya.net/?p=714

You only BELIVE what someone wrote – and you only believe it because you want to. The very same thing can be said about your belief in covid. No, that is not true – Definitely not. I never simply read something about COVID and believe it. I read something and then I go on a research mission to find out as much as I can that is against it and also for it. It is after I have carefully studied everything possible, I then form an opinion. My learning process is a deliberate action with a purpose to extract information from various sources for processing and storage. I can tell you that learning is the cognitive process of acquiring knowledge. Learning is the continuing process of acquiring new knowledge or modifying existing knowledge. When I read something, the first thing that pops in my mind is – Why. I then immediately seek all means to understand that.

Now, on a personal level most people start to believe what Jesus said on a more visceral level. I believe there are SOME people who do this. Have you seen studies where MOST people do this? They are usually the ones weighted down by the cares of this life, wondering what this life is all about. Why am I here? Why am I dying? Why? I can understand this does happen at times. Systematic theology is not going to work for these folks. They are looking for something, some truth to believe in. Ah Ha … In that statement, you have now publicly declared that: Most folks looking to the Bible for truth to believe in will not find that truth in systematic theology. That is exactly what you said. And on this, we are in complete agreement …

Ah Ha …

In that statement, you have now publicly declared that:

Most folks looking to the Bible for truth to believe in will not find that truth in systematic theology. That is exactly what you said.

And on this, we are in complete agreement …

Let me be clear regarding theology for the unbeliever who is hurting and seeking: a theology textbook is not going to be the first thing they find.

They will pick up a Bible and find a connection, or a Christian will tell them about the grace of God toward sinners. This will be the beginning of their salvation.

But, Gatlin, there are 1000's upon 1000's of people who come to know Christ through a college class on systematic theology. Most are young people who grew up in church hearing the gospel every Sunday. But when they get away to college, begin to think for themselves, that deep study of God finally reaches their mind and spirit.

Theology profs are greatly remembered by students for their dry, keen wit. They are the intellectual giants who keep the doctrinal positions of the church fresh in the minds of God's people.

Let me be clear regarding theology for the unbeliever who is hurting and seeking: a theology textbook is not going to be the first thing they find. Let me be perfectly clear to someone who is trying to impose his views on others and say that of course a theology textbook is not going to be the first thing a person seeking the truth finds. I would never have thought that to be the case. They will pick up a Bible and find a connection, or a Christian will tell them about the grace of God toward sinners. This will be the beginning of their salvation. Possibly … But, Gatlin, there are 1000's upon 1000's of people who come to know Christ through a college class on systematic theology. Show studies to support your claim. What you say is just bullshit in an attempt to support your position. If you Look – you will find those attending a college class on systematic theology are in Christian liberal arts colleges which offer broad-based studies in arts and humanities from a faith-based perspective and have already come to know Christ – So that is the reason they are there in the first place. They do NOT … … come to know Christ through a college class on systematic theology. You make no sense whey you say: Most are young people who grew up in church hearing the gospel every Sunday. But when they get away to college, begin to think for themselves, that deep study of God finally reaches their mind and spirit. First of all – You need to definitely stop using the word “MOST” unless you can document the numbers. And so far, you never have been able to. You are saying the young people who grew up in church hearing the gospel ever Sunday were not able to think for themselves until they get away to college. I ask that you please let me know how you have factually determined this to be true. What research have you done – or studies have your rear that supports your thesis? I am calling you out again – watchman – you are just making up bullshit as you go along. Theology profs are greatly remembered by students for their dry, keen wit. They are the intellectual giants who keep the doctrinal positions of the church fresh in the minds of God's people. You don’t KNOW this. It is just something you made up and set in your mind to believe. If this were true – then you would have supporting documentation. You are on a mission to make everyone think like you do – You are being overbearing about it. Your problem has been around for a while. As Mahatma Gandhi famously (and sadly) said: I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. Unfortunately, he’s not alone – Read: In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. In Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009. Your outlook and methodology is doing nothing to support Christianity.. Try something different …

Theology profs are greatly remembered by students for their dry, keen wit. That is a tragedy because theology profs should not be there to act as comedians and leave memorable impressive displays of their dry, keen wit – but be there to strictly prepare course materials and teaching classes that prepare students to THINK. I have no data to prove it, but I have a strong belief that with the over 1.3 million professors in 7000 schools – you would probably never find a professor who teaches something he/she doesn’t believe. That is the problem I see today – the college professors teach students WHAT to believe and not give students a firm foundation on which to determine their oqn beliefs. That – Dear Sir – is called INDOCTRINATIOLN – And I would look upon any theology professor in the same consideration. I not only feel this way, there are others who feel the same way. Here is but one of those in a similar light: Is what is taught in colleges/universities skewed (often implicitly) toward what people (incl. professors) just believe or what they want to believe? The answer is an astoundingly big "YES” – Big Time, Big Time …

If you Look – you will find those attending a college class on systematic theology are in Christian liberal arts colleges which offer broad-based studies in arts and humanities from a faith-based perspective and have already come to know Christ – So that is the reason they are there in the first place.

Shooting your mouth off about stuff you know nothing about...as usual.

Did you not know that there are one year Bible schools through out the u.s., and over seas? These schools teach the Bible only, and the overwhelming majority of the students are teenagers just out of high school. Parents send their kids to one year Bible schools to prepare them for college. Christian colleges will transfer credits from affiliated Bible schools. These Bible schools have very strict rules, some more than others.

Most of the teens really want to be there...but some of them, well, not so much. Parents will often force their teens to attend Bible school because the teen has issues with authority, etc.

These Bible schools function like boot camp, while exposing students to some of the greatest guest lecturers/theologians/Bible teachers of our day.

have already come to know Christ

It might come as a surprise to you but just because the parents are Christians, that doesn't mean that their kids will be. And, as the late Christian singer Keith Green once said, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger".

Bible schools convert many of those kids who were just faking it to please Mom and Dad. Happens all the time.

But go ahead and pontificate...about theology, Bible schools, whatever...your foolishness always puts a smile on my face.

Shooting your mouth off about stuff you know nothing about...as usual. So you say, in hopeless despair – While you can say nothing to disprove qny of the points I have made. Did you not know that there are one year Bible schools through out the u.s., and over seas? These schools teach the Bible only … And their courses are based on faithful exposition of the Scriptures where they dig both wide and deep into God’s word to strike a balance between Old and New Testaments, and also cover practical topics about the Church and Christian life. Now show me where they all have courses in systematic theology – since you feel it is such a an important subject and this is what we are currently discussing. Can you? The overwhelming majority of the students are teenagers just out of high school. Parents send their kids to one year Bible schools to prepare them for college. Christian colleges will transfer credits from affiliated Bible schools. These Bible schools have very strict rules, some more than others. Most of the teens really want to be there...but some of them, well, not so much. Parents will often force their teens to attend Bible school because the teen has issues with authority, etc. These Bible schools function like boot camp, while exposing students to some of the greatest guest lecturers/theologians/Bible teachers of our day. This is a noble and admirable effort. It might come as a surprise to you but just because the parents are Christians, that doesn't mean that their kids will be.< i> No, that comes as NO surprise to me at all. In fact, there is very little in life that ever surprises me. And, as the late Christian singer Keith Green once said, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger". Cute … And to that, I will add that you may call yourself a “Christian” – But if you check your Bible, you will find that Jesus wasn’t a snob who judged people for their imperfections like you consistently do. Check on that … Bible schools convert many of those kids who were just faking it to please Mom and Dad. Happens all the time. Again – I say this is a noble and admirable effort. But you still haven’t said what this has to do with systematic theology – the subject we are currently discussing. But go ahead and pontificate...about theology, Bible schools, whatever ... Oh, I will do that. And I don’t need to approval or permission to do so. … your foolishness always puts a smile on my face. No surprise about that – For I have no doubt that you then tilt your head downward and shift your gaze to the left while touching you face often. An oft-quoted 1995 study found that a smile provoked by embarrassment is often accompanied by a downward tilt of the head and a shifting of the gaze to the left. If you're embarrassed, you'll probably touch your face more often, too. A 2009 study on embarrassed smiles did confirm the head movements. Yep – I can definitely understand why you smile. Keep on with your smiles of embarassment …

And their courses are based on faithful exposition of the Scriptures where they dig both wide and deep into God’s word to strike a balance between Old and New Testaments, and also cover practical topics about the Church and Christian life.

Well, now. Looks like I'm making some progress. Well said.

you will find that Jesus wasn’t a snob who judged people for their imperfections like you consistently do. Check on that …

Show me where I consistently do this.

But you still haven’t said what this has to do with systematic theology – the subject we are currently discussing.

We aren't really discussing systematic theology...it's mostly just you obsessing over it.

tilt your head downward and shift your gaze to the left while touching you face often.

I have no idea what this means.

Keep on with your smiles of embarassment …

I am embarrassed. But I am embarrassed for you. You're obviously a quick minded person, gifted with intellect. Except. Except, Gatlin Who-ever-you-are, you have failed to use your intellect for your own good, to contemplate the very nature of your existence and of your Creator. Rather, you use your mind and talents to post nonsense about Covid 19, as if you work for the fools in high places who delight in poking and prodding humanity with poisons, hoaxes, and other assorted evils. Seems beneath you.

With all your intellect, you turn away from God. I fear that this passage of Scripture applies to you...

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him

God has frustrated your intelligence...He's got you doing the bidding of fools. By your own intellect, you've chosen unwisely.

And their courses are based on faithful exposition of the Scriptures where they dig both wide and deep into God’s word to strike a balance between Old and New Testaments, and also cover practical topics about the Church and Christian life. Well, now. Looks like I'm making some progress. Well said. How can you call that YOUR progress when all I am doing is showing you’re the content of their courses and that it contains no systematic theology course. Read the part again where I asked you to: Now show me where they all have courses in systematic theology – since you feel it is such a an important subject and this is what we are currently discussing. Your self-flattery praise and exaggeration when wrongly thinking of your achievement is at the expense of your denial and the glossing over of your faults and failings. But if you have a craving need for self-congratulation – Then revel in it and enjoy yourself in a lively and noisy way. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, All ye, all ye lands. Serve the Lord, the Lord with gladness: Come before His presence with singing.… The full lyrics and a video is here … you will find that Jesus wasn’t a snob who judged people for their imperfections like you consistently do. Check on that … Show me where I consistently do this. Easily done – Start here at the top and read all the way down to the bottom – On every page. We aren't really discussing systematic theology...it's mostly just you obsessing over it. And you were responding. So – What in the Hell do you calssify as “DISCUSSING?” tilt your head downward and shift your gaze to the left while touching you face often. I have no idea what this means. Which validates what you told me here when you said: Not that I read all the tripe you post If you want “an idea” of what something means – The start reading entire posts for comprehension. Otherwise – Just keep on making an ass out of yourself through neglect. Keep on with your smiles of embarassment … I am embarrassed. But I am embarrassed for you. Misplaced – Yet another waste in your life. You're obviously a quick minded person, gifted with intellect. I know – but thank you – others have told me the same thing any number of times. Except. Except, Gatlin Who-ever-you-are, you have failed to use your intellect for your own good, to contemplate the very nature of your existence and of your Creator. You asked me earlier in your post to show you where you consistently judged people for their imperfections. I should have waited until I read down to this point in your post and I would not have needed to waste time furnishing you the link above. You are doing it AGAIN … Rather, you use your mind and talents to post nonsense about Covid 19 … I do not consider a pandemic that has caused 164,000,000 cases of COVID- 19 with 3,400,000 deaths worldwide to be “nonsense.” You may however in blissful ignorance continue to do so. … as if you work for the fools in high places who delight in poking and prodding humanity with poisons, hoaxes, and other assorted evils. Wrong perceptions are the cause of all afflictions. You don’t need to live this way—angry at the world and frustrated with yourself. Read this … Seems beneath you. Reading and responding to your tripe is beneath me – But I somehow manage to do it anyway…

With all your intellect, you turn away from God. I fear that this passage of Scripture applies to you...

It is not strange that you use the word “fear – Since the phrase “fear not” is used at least 80 times in the Bible, most likely because He knows the enemy uses fear to decrease our hope and limit our victories.

Since it is written to “FEAR NOT” – I don’t fear and neither should you …

God has frustrated your intelligence... God has given me the wonderful ability to correctly analyze information and He has blessed me with the wisdom to be in tune with and aware of my surroundings. My willpower, common sense, perception and intuition are all constantly at peak performance. I have been blessed throughout my entire life. … you've chosen unwisely. God's will for our lives has reason and purpose. It is through scripture, where we can find meaning and principles discerning God's will. I believe it is He who will let me know if I have ever chosen unwisely – and definitely NOT you. Butt out with your attempts to cajole me to accept your opinions and ideas as the only ones that are right …

THE TRUTH IS MARCHING ON -

And Ole Gatlin is right there in step with it ...

My Morning Inspirational …

I have an icon link in the first position on my desktop
and I click on it each morning to start the day.

It is such a beautiful rendition that I never tire of hearing it.

I will share this with you in hopes that you also enjoy it.

In His Name …

Judged someone lately? Sadly, the answer is – Yes. Judging someone is fundamentally incompatible with authentic Christian faith. Jesus said Christians should be known for how deeply they love, not how deeply they judge. >[? Yet studies show that in the eyes of many non-Christians, Christians are known for how deeply they judge, not for how deeply they love. The problem in many cases is not that unchurched people don’t know any Christians. The problem is that they do. And they don’t like Christians— for good reason. In Jesus, grace and truth are perfectly fused. Remove grace from the truth and you don’t actually have truth at all, but a cold, steely imitation. (This is the shadow side of conservatism.) The opposite is also true, of course. Remove truth from grace and you don’t have grace, but a spineless imitation. (As you’ve already figured out, this is the shadow side of liberalism.) Fusing grace and truth is an exceptionally difficult venture and is usually only successful when you spend significant amounts of time on your knees and when the source of your attempt is actually Christ himself. But when you see grace and truth fused, it takes your breath away. Why did people travel for days on foot in extreme conditions to meet Jesus? Grace fused to truth is what our hearts most deeply long for. But in the church today, the hard edge of truth has crushed many. And one of the most frequent expressions of loveless truth is found in judgment. Judgmentalism is incompatible with at least 5 wonderful things. Keep judging, and you will miss all 5 of Christian virtues discussed here.

When you look up the definition of “judge” used as a verb – You will find that it means to: Form an opinion or conclusion about. When you said to me: With all your intellect, you turn away from God. God has frustrated your intelligence...He's got you doing the bidding of fools. By your own intellect, you've chosen unwisely. Shooting your mouth off about stuff you know nothing about...as usual. In the end, you will lose. You most definitely have “formed an opinion or conclusion about” me. Therefore, it cannot be denied that you have “passed judgment” on me. That now begs the question: Is it OK for Christians to pass judgement? Give that some thought. The Bible verses below will help you give an answer to me: Luke 6:37 - Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. James 4:11-12 - Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbour? John 8:7 - When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Romans 14:3 - The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Romans 14:10 - You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgement seat. What is your answer to the question: Is it OK for Christians to pass judgement?

the definition of “judge”

Am I judging you, or am I speaking the truth to you [Eph.4:15]

With all your intellect, you turn away from God.

God has frustrated your intelligence...He's got you doing the bidding of fools. By your own intellect, you've chosen unwisely.

I said this in reference to your stance on Covid, in particular, the vaccine. You stand with evil men who wish to force an experimental vaccine on dumb down sheeple. You stand with false preachers like Franklin Graham who use their influence to harm God's people with an untested substance that no one is allowed to question. I tell you the truth. God hates this in no uncertain terms.

Shooting your mouth off about stuff you know nothing about...as usual.

I said this in reference to your ignorant statements about the teaching of theology. Remember how you said theology is brainwashing and indoctrination? Yeah, you said that.

In the end, you will lose.

As you stand with those who wish to control and inject unknown substances into fearful and confused people, who are not allowed to buy and sell unless they bow to the World Health Organization, you are taking a stand with Lucifer, who will soon morph this into eternal damnation, the Mark of the Beast. Yeah, you stand with that, too. Lucifer is a loser, and if you stand with him you will lose.

So, am I judging you or am I speaking the truth to you?

Hint. The truth only feels like judgment because the truth is painful. That's why grace is so important...so we can face the painful truth. Grace is the balm that soothes the pain.

Am I judging you, or am I speaking the truth to you [Eph.4:15] Now that really is an excellent question tp ask yourself. How do I know what I did is right is always an excellent question for a Christian to ask himself. When a Christian encounters cognitive dissonance, or a situation where his behavior is questioned to be inconsistent with his beliefs (hypocrisy), he often times will justify his behavior and deny any negative feedback with the behavior by cherry picking Scripture for self-justification. You are shamefully doing this now. When you find great importance in proving yourself right all the time, you have a problem because you must always see yourself as the “winner” and think that you’re smarter than whoever you are disagreeing with. Someone who truly believes that he is “always right” overlooks the fact that their overbearing personality which usually accompanies their belief tends to put off others to the point they try not to even engage them in conversation. You are blessed in that I have the patience to contend with your idiosyncrasies. I can appropriately apply the “I have the patience of Job” idiom here as I continue to nobly persevere in the face of the overwhelming dilemma you have brought upon yourself. Regardless of the way you as a Christian self-justifiy making judgments on me – it is definitely wrong because the Bible says in Matthew 7:1 to: …judge not … We all want to be right. How do we become right with God? How do we become justified? We do not do it by searching out Scripture to rationalize away a wrong. There is a huge difference between self-justification and the justification that comes through Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 4:24-25: It [faith] shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Self-justification through making an excuse for your action means nothing – for Godly justification comes through Jesus Christ. I said this in reference to your stance on Covid, in particular, the vaccine. It matters not in what respect you referenced it to – It only matters that you said it and therefore you did it. Am I judging you, or am I speaking the truth to you [Eph.4:15] Please let me know when you arrive at an answer to the question you ask of yourself.

Looking Again at Your Deception of Self-Justification. Instead of being humble and open to correction, you immediately attempted to justify your position by cherry picking Scripture to quote to the person who had done nothing but spoken truth into your life. Thinking that after all, if you could deceptively brow beat the messenger, you wouldn't need to heed the message of conviction. Believing conveniently that you had settled the fact that my concerns for properness were worthless, you could go along your merry way and not have to change a thing. Oh – What a relief. Sadly, you took the bait of self-justification. Being so interested in the defense of your actions and not having to change – You lied to yourself in order to avoid conviction. Self-justification is one of the sneakiest and most subtle forms of deceit the enemy uses in the lives of Christians. When you are not open and eager for the Spirit of God to correct and refine you, you often spend a huge amount of time and mental energy trying to convince yourself that you are just fine the way you are. Then, when you are challenged with truth, it either hurts your pride or touches on an area of compromise in your life that you are unwilling to give up. And the only way to avoid admitting that you are in the wrong is self- justification by cherry picking Scripture. When you are blinded by self-justification, you often believe that you are seeing clearly to remove the speck in someone else's eye, when in reality we have a huge plank in ours the entire time (see Matt. 7:5). Being self-righteous will cause you to miss the message of Christ. The Pharisees were professional self-justifiers. They were so busy proving to themselves and to everyone else that they were just fine the way they were that they completely missed the message of repentance and freedom Christ came to bring. It was a message that could have set them free. Instead, self-justification blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, and they remained dead in their sins. Self-justification drove them mad with hatred toward Christ and eventually led to them killing the One who died to save them. As the Pharisees' example proves, self-justification is not something to take lightly because the end result is bondage to sin and blindness to the light. If you get obsessed with trying to “shoot the messenger” – you can become distracted from responding to God's gentle tug of correction upon your soul. Think about it … In His Name …

… the truth is painful. The truth hurts less than a lie. That's why grace is so important...so we can face the painful truth. Grace is not something that can be used to face anything. By definition, grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. We can never earn grace and we can never make ourselves worthy of it, after all, our most righteous works are no more than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We are offered grace free because of the love God has for us (John 3:16). The gift of God is life eternal in Jesus Christ the Lord (Romans 6:23). Grace is of the utmost importance so that we might respond to His call to share in His divine life and attain eternal life. I bring to your attention that Paul – in his letter to the Galatians – said: I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21 NIV), or in the King James instead of saying Christ died for nothing it says that Christ died in vain, which is the exact same thing but in different words. I think the word “vain” resonates with some people more than the phrase “for nothing You really need to get a better understanding on the importance of grace …

I have thoroughly enjoyed my return visit to Liberty’s Forum this time. And I am grateful that our exchange of posts was not once again deleted. It has indeed been a most wonderful feeling to freely express myself this visit. I sincerely thank you for taking your valuable time to share your views with me. I gave deep consideration to the content in each of your posts before replying. Stay well – and Adieu … God Bless …

I sincerely thank you for taking your valuable time to share your views with me.

Likewise.

I gave deep consideration to the content in each of your posts before replying.

As did I. And will continue to do so.

Since it is written to “FEAR NOT” – I don’t fear and neither should you …

Where does it say that in scripture, Gatlin? To fear God is to love him and his commandments. Which is how one comes to understanding him in the first place. To not fear God is to doubt everything about him. This is His earth and not ours. When you see the fires taking places all over earth and calamity in crazy weather, who do you think is doing all this? Nope, its not global warming. It is God himself. He is destroying his earth because he is literally fed up and disgusted with us all. And I say, amen to that.

But first, I graciously point out to you this thread is about: COVID Fraud – Lawyers & Medical Experts start legal proceedings against W.H.O and World Leaders for ‘Crimes against Humanity’ You posted to Stone here: Thank you for posting this article. I could not understand why you thanked Stone. So, I pointed out to you here that: Reiner Fuellmich is not a physician. Reiner Fuellmich is simply yet another of the many consumer protection trial lawyers No surprisingly, Reiner Fuellmich’s lawsuit has not reached any court so far. Canada’s top court is not hearing case about Covid-19 ‘crimes.’ Then I next pointed out to you here where: We Call Out Reiner Fuellmich as a Fraud. The Covid Conspirator Investigated. I even furnished you here with: The Transcript of Dr. Reiner Fuellmich’s “Crimes Against Humanity.” As I have stated: I will graciously answer your question … Where does it say that in scripture, Gatlin? … but I would like to know why you skipped all the pings to you and made your way all the way the thread to Post #48 where you were not specifically pinged to ask me to be your “secretary” and go to the trouble to show you: Where does it say … “FEAR NOT” … in scripture, Gatlin?

I ask that you please explain to me “why” you did not address any of my pings on the topic of this thread.

While I wait for your answer, I will start looking up the Scriptures you requested.

This “secretarial duty” undertaking will take time, a great deal of time – Be patient …

We are all born with natural antibodies to help our immune systems to fight free-radicals and diseases. Most people are now coming to the realization that these diseases are man-made and fall under Title 50 of that post #4 which I took the liberty to mention to you. It is up to the people to make intelligent and informed decisions about what they put in their bodies.

Your body is a temple of God. Why would you pollute it with filth and garbage?

Re-read my post #4. I did as you instructed me to do – and nowhere in your Post #4 did I find an answer to my question, which I remind you was: I ask that you please explain to me “why” you did not address any of my pings on the topic of this thread. My question goes unanswered as I continue diligently to look up Scriptures to answer your question, which was: Since it is written to “FEAR NOT” – I don’t fear and neither should you … Where does it say that in scripture, Gatlin? I have found a goodly number already. I continue to discover more. I am finding many more than I really expected to find. It is taking longer than I thought. Remain patient – An answer for you is on the way …

Gatlin: Since it is written to “FEAR NOT” … goldilucky: Where does it say that in scripture, Gatlin? Okay, I have been working on showing you “Where in Scripture it says ‘fear not.’” This did not take any time at all. I found a goodly number of verses pertaining to “fear not.” I shall start with this one: 8. “But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” ~ Isaiah 43:1 Read that Scripture again, goldilucky, this time V-E-R-Y carefully. You do see the phrase “fear not” – right? Of course, you do. From there, I ween on and found 30 other Scriptures reminding us that we: “Do Not Have to Fear.” I will cite those to you now: “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid [fear not]; just believe.’” ~ Mark 5:36 “'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear [fear not]; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” ~ Isaiah 41:13-14 “So do not fear [fear not], for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10 “Do not be afraid [fear not] of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” ~ Deuteronomy 3:22 “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid [fear not].” ~ John 14:27 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no [fear not] evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” ~ Psalm 23:4 “Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid [fear not].'” ~ Mark 6:50 “Do not worry [fear not] about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” ~ Luke 12:22-26 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:34 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified [fear not]; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9 “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid [fear not]! God is coming to your rescue…” ~ Isaiah 35:4 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid [fear not] or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6 “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid [fear not]. I am the First and the Last.'” ~ Revelation 1:17 “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid [fear not] of their threats.” ~ 1 Peter 3:14 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid [fear mpt]. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” ~ Psalm 118:6-7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:6-7 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” ~ Psalm 94:19 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." ~ Psalm 56:3 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” ~ Psalm 94:19 <>li “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” ~ Proverbs 12:25 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” ~ Psalm 55:22 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:6-7 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” ~ 1 John 4:18 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” ~ Psalm 27:1 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” ~ Psalm 55:22 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” ~ Psalm 46:1 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” ~ Proverbs 29:25 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” ~ Mark 4:39-40 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7 “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” ~ Psalm 34:4 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” ~ Romans 8:38-39 I continued to make more discoveries and I probably could have given you another 30 Scro[tires – But I will stop here. I trust this answer your thoughtless question. A question you must realize that you should not even have asked in the first place.

Where does it say [fear not] in scripture, Gatlin? There are more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible. Why do I say that there are more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible? “Fear” is spoken of over 500 times in the KJV. Furthermore, in addition to the “Fear nots” many times the Bible teaches us to “Fear God,” which really means reverence God alone and do not fear anyone or anything else. Expanding the search to look at verses encouraging us to receive God’s peace and strength when we’re worried or anxious would add many, many more “Fear not” Scriptures. This is why I say that there are more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible. The Psalmist often leads us in a “Fear not” prayer. The Psalms are the Bible’s great soul book, meant to train us to respond to all difficult feelings and life situations through emotionally honest prayer in community. We’re trusting the Lord as we love one another. The Beloved Disciple John summarizes the Bible’s promise to “Fear not”: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:11, 18). Another example is Psalm 56. David has been seized by the Philistines and he starts to become afraid, but instead he sets his vision on his Lord and Savior in his midst. He praises God and his word to him: “Fear not!” He puts his trust in the Lord… When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I will not be afraid [fear not]. What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4, repeated in similar words in verses 10-11.) https://www.soulshepherding.org/fear-not-365-days-a-year/ FEAR NOT !!!

The vaccine has never been proven to "heal" anybody … Oh dear – Just where did you EVER get the notion that the vaccine was “to heal” anybody? The purpose of the COVID-19 vaccine was never “to heal” COVID-19 – The purpose was to provide immunity against” COVID-19. Where is the world do you come up with your crazy notions from? Vaccine Definition: a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease. My goodness – The purpose of any vaccine is only to “provide immunity against” a disease. [The COVID-19 is an] experiment on unsuspecting people. That is merely your opinion. And you have a right to that opinion. The right to speak guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution includes the right to voice opinions, criticize others, and comment on matters of public interest. It also protects the use of hyperbole and extreme statements when it is clear these are rhetorical ploys. Accordingly, you can safely state your opinion that others are inept, stupid, jerks, failures, etc. even though these statements might hurt the subject's feelings or diminish their reputations. Such terms represent what is called "pure opinions" because they can't be proven true or false. As a result, they cannot form the basis for a defamation claim. Having a “right” to your opinion – does in no way not make your opinion “RIGHT.” Stated opinions need to rely on underlying facts. The facts on which you are basing your opinion, and the opinion you state should be reasonably drawn from truthful facts. providing me with the factual information you are basing your opinion on, will allows me to come to my own conclusion. Please ping me when you can do this. In the meantime – Good day to you, Madam …

Your body is a temple of God. That’s right — It’s veritable temple. The apostle Paul comes right out and says so. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV), he asks: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” But you obviously do not know what “your body is a temple of God” means since you try to tie the Scripture into an association with vaccination. Since you do not know, I will therefore teach you what it means. The context of this astounding assertion – Your body is a temple of God – pertains to the avoidance of sexual immorality. And sexual immorality … … means neglecting and defying God's law of sexual relations. So, it is that in 1 Corinthians 6 is where you got the phrase, “your body is a temple” – in its original context was Paul writing to the Corinthian church about sexual immorality and had nothing to do with with your idiotic question: Why would you pollute it with filth and garbage? Please stop “CHERRY PICKING” Scripture and abusing it to support your personal agenda.

We are all born with natural antibodies to help our immune systems to fight free-radicals and diseases. This is true. Most people are now coming to the realization that these diseases are man-made … This is also true. But you then go on to assume something without research to present supporting facts. … and fall under Title 50 of that post #4 which I took the liberty to mention to you. First of all, you did not take “the liberty to mention” anything to me in your post #4 since your post #4 was To: A K A Stone and never to me. And secondly, 50 U.S. Code § 1520a pertains ONLY to … … restrictions on use of human subjects for testing of chemical or biological agents. The Covid-19 vaccines administered are not in any way used on “human subjects for testing of chemical or biological agents.” So it is that you not only cherry pick Scripture and misapply it to support your agenda – You also cherry pick a law and misapply it to support your agenda. You really need to stop doing this because there are some gullible people who will do no research and consequently believe your falsely unsubstantiated claims.

stillnessinthestorm.com/2...-vaccine-work-vaccine-id/

21stcenturywire.com/2019/...o-check-for-vaccinations/

economictimes.indiatimes..../articleshow/41280050.cms

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US Patents on the covid vaccine

patentscope.wipo.int/sear...ail.jsf?docId=US291464337

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patentscope.wipo.int/sear...il.jsf?docId=WO2020060606

patents.google.com/patent/WO2020060606A1/en

id2020.org/alliance

http://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6666

www.moleculardevices.com/...r/november-2020.html#gref

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciferase