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Originally Posted by De Maria

Very good! Did I say to lean on your own understanding or why did you post this?

Here's one for you:

What does this mean:

Hebrews 13 7 Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,

Does this mean I should learn from the leaders of my Church? Or does this say that I should not lean on their understanding but on my own?

Sincerely,

De Maria

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The word "Faith", in this verse is "Pistis", the living, Divinely, implanted principle.
The word "follow", is "mimeomai"in Greek, it means to imitate.
The word "considering" is "Anatheoreo", which means to "gaze on with purpose and attention".
The word "conversation" is "Anastrophe" which means "manner of life".

This is saying that we should pay attention to those who have rule over us and if their life is in accordance with the way of God, then we should imitate them.

Yesterday, in Sydney, a Catholic priest was charged with 30 counts of sexual assaults on boys.
I wouldn't be to good to follow his example, would it?
He had rule over those boys, they had to submit to him as their spiritual leader, they put their full trust in him, now he has ruined 30 more lives, not to speak of the boys families and friends.
This is a very common thing, even today, in the Catholic church, but not only the Catholic Church.
How-ever, we are talking about the Catholic church, pointing the finger at some-one else, does not justify the sins that is so prevalent in this church.
Priests should be allowed to marry, so that they don't burn with sexual lust, this is a big mistake by this church.
As for me, I will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and whatever my leaders say, I will either know, from my knowledge of the Bible, or I will check it out to confirm it.
Actually, when you have the Holy Spirit, and have read the Bible from cover to cover a few times, and read it every day, you know as soon as some-one uses a word out of context, or a false doctrine as soon as they say it.
You feel it straight away in your spirit.
There is one thing that I would like to know, have you actually had any spiritual experiences, or is all your knowledge come only from the doctrines of the Catholic church.
Cheers,:cool:

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Originally Posted by cogs

i thank god he got your attention before you ruined some lives. i can totally see how the spirit could see your future, and then remind you how he was trying to warn you. i don't know how you quit your habits, other than god blessing you. i don't know how you will hear god speaking, when you're not listening, and praying in tongues. i have tried tongues before, but i always thought it was just talking, and thought that if i just pray, and listen to god, it's just as good. as far as obedience, god hasn't prompted me to get baptized (i already have been, but not full immersion), and hasn't prompted to speak in tongues. right now, i'm trying to obey what i know, and listen to god in case he speaks to me (which i believe he has in the past), so i'll be prepared to not resist, but obey. i need cleansing on the inside, by obeying, and not continuing my way. this is what i think is purification. it's wonderful that god was doing a good work in you all the time, which is as you said about the prodigal son.

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The first life I would have ruined would have been mine, if I hadn't come to the Lord at that time, I would either be dead or in prison now!
Bad habits are usually demons that need a body to act out their lusts.
If you make yours available, then they will use it.
Continual sin will give place to demonic forces that will control your mind and your will.
Their only legal right to stay in or on you, is by unconfessed sin.
If you feel compelled to do something, like drink or smoke or look at pornography, then there is a demon controlling you.
I have a friend that is in Long Bay Psyche Ward, this is a high security prison.
He was only using grass, but started getting into the occult.
He told me once that he went to the catholic church with his parents and a huge demon followed him back to his car and hung onto the roof till he got home.
He was a kid at the time, but he was terrified.
That demon probably stayed there waiting for an opportunity, when he got into the occult, it entered into him.
Before this happened and he was telling me about his life, I told him to stay away from the occult, don't even read your stars in the paper as you invite demons in when you do these things.
I told him that if he got into the occult and continued to use drugs, the demons would either try to kill him or make him kill some-one else.
Unfortunately, he didn't listen and stabbed his mother and father and brother, to death, and then continued living in the house for nearly a week before some-one got suspicious.
When you are baptized by full immersion, it removes the sin and therefore the legal right for the demon to stay.
It is easy then to get rid of the habit as you are no longer compelled to do it.

Do you have any dreams, God speaks to you in dreams,
Numbers 12
6And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

Peter quoted Joel in acts 2 and said

16but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says,
'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
18EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
And they shall prophesy.
19'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE
AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,
BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.
20'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS
AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.
21'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'

God will speak to you in dreams, He speaks to many people that way, also in visions, which is the way that I and most people that I know that prophesy now, hear from God.

It is also a still small voice, as in 1 Kings 19

11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.


You know that it is God speaking to you when it is great wisdom and something that you didn't know before.
It also fills you with joy, when He speaks, but there is one thing that you must remember, stay very still in your mind, do not think or say anything when the Lord is speaking to you, or He will stop immediately.
Don't even say thank-you until He has finished speaking.
Ask God for dreams and visions, if you have a dream, perhaps I can help interpret it for you.
If you are in the dream, it is about you, if you are only observing, it is about some-one else.
If there are things in your dream that you don't understand, then ask yourself, "what does this thing mean to me?"
For instance, a car could be a church, a motor bike could be a ministry, a storm could be spiritual attack etc.
Ask God to reveal Himself in your dreams and expect it to happen, if you don't expect it then it probably won't happen.

Hebrews 11

6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, never give up.
Seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness and all these things will be added to you!
Peace and dreams!:)

I don't want to piggy back, but when was the Catholic church first established? It seems to my memory, that it was established long before Jesus was even born of the Virgin Mary... and before Peter was born.

Peter was married, because Jesus healed his mother-in-law. So why does the Catholic church not allow the priest to marry? And why when one is caught doing that, the Catholic church just moves them to another church.

And what about the verse that says, we ought to obey God rather than man?

In Acts 2:
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (prophesy means to preach)
19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.


30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.


30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.


The Holy Ghost is a witnesses...and we have received Him, He abides in us, in our spirit and He speaks through us and tells us things to come and what is to be. God speaks to us through His Spirit to our spirit. My pastor says that we should not take every word he says as 'gospel', but that we should study on our own and see that those things are true.



Acts 11:25 6And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

My sister and her husband were Catholic, and they did not call themselves Christians, they said they were Catholic.

I can understand the distinction between salvation and born again in the same way the Bible says soul and spirit they have two distinct functions YET they can NOT be separated.

The difference between salvation and born again to me is
salvation is Jesus paying the price for our sin so we could have salvation
born again is more like the awakening of your soul and spirit to the truth.

Born-again. Jesus was the firstborn of many brethren. He was born-again when He was raised from the dead.


Peter 1:21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.


22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:


23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Jesus is the Seed of God, by which we are 'born-again'.

The first Adam was born-again when he ate the forbidden fruit. God told him he would die, that was not a physical death. His spirit died, became darkened. He knew he was naked.

The Second Adam was Jesus the Christ. He redeemed us from the curse, He paid the price and restored us. It is our spirits that are born again when we accept what Jesus did for us. He said the old things are passed away, behold all things are new again.

Salvation means: nothing missing, nothing broken. Salvation is of the Lord. He said He would show us His salvation. He would show us how to live a godly life until He sends for us. And all His promises are in Him yes and in Him amen. So be it.

Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. Our minds have to be renewed by the Word of God. As well as our spirit must be fed on the Word of God. The fruit of the spirit are in our spirit. Notice the little s…But the Gifts of the Spirit are of the Holy Spirit and He operates them as He wills through us if we are willing to obey Him.

And the Love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God's very own Love is in us, in our spirits so we are able to love our enemies with the Love wherewith He loved us.

The battle between good and evil is still in our minds... our will to follow Jesus or our emotions... selfishness, anger, willfulness... these are the flesh the senses, how we contact the physical world. We do not actually 'make up our minds' we make up our will. Do we allow our emotions to rule or do we allow the will to follow Jesus to rule?

The Word said 'he that is born of spirit is spirit'. God is a Spirit, we are His children, and we are spirits. The spirit is the inner man, often translated heart. That is where trinity abides. He said “I will come and make my abode with you” Jesus said “he that abides in me and my Words abide in him, can ask whatsoever he will and it shall be done for him.”

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit abide in our spirits.

I am not sure I explained that well, as I am in a hurry waiting for my two sisters to come over.

But man is three dominions, spirit, soul and body. This body is just our earth suit, Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

and Forgive me if it sounds like I am rambling, I am in a hurry.
, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

make man in our image, after our likeness: Gen 1: 26And God said, Let us So God created man in his own image, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27
the image of God created he himin male and female created he them; And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen 2:7


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Salvation = God the Father sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross

born again = the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person in order to begin the sanctification ("making holy" -- growing in grace) process

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Originally Posted by tsila1777

The battle between good and evil is still in our minds...our will to follow Jesus or our emotions...selfishness, anger, willfulness...these are the flesh the senses, how we contact the physical world. We do not actually 'make up our minds' we make up our will. Do we allow our emotions to rule or do we allow the will to follow Jesus to rule?

The Word said 'he that is born of spirit is spirit'. God is a Spirit, we are His children, and we are spirits. The spirit is the inner man, often translated heart. That is where trinity abides. He said “I will come and make my abode with you” Jesus said “he that abides in me and my Words abide in him, can ask whatsoever he will and it shall be done for him.”

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit abide in our spirits.

I am not sure I explained that well, as I am in a hurry waiting for my two sisters to come over.

But man is three dominions, spirit, soul and body. This body is just our earth suit, Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

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What an excellent post, this is exactly the case, I concur wholeheartedly!

On another point, I believe that the Holy Spirit is God the Father's Spirit and Jesus Spirit, come together to make one Spirit.
As we are made in His image, and how the figure of marriage is constantly used for the union of Jesus and the Church, even though two separate entities, come together as one.
This is why in Genesis 2 it says -

23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, '
for she was taken out of man."

24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.


If we are MADE in the image of God, the emphasis is on the Made.
Eve was always a part of Adam, she was taken from him and made a helper for him.
When they come together, they form another person, or spirit.
A man, before he is married, has his own way of doing things, as does a woman.
If they continue in doing things to satisfy their own desires and needs and not those of each other, then that marriage is not very stable and will probably fail.
If the husband and wife choose to enjoy each others company and forego their previous life styles, then they will grow closer and closer together, eventually even finishing off each others sentences sometimes.
Their spirits truly become one and a new spirit is born, (so to speak), and wherever one or the other is, the spirit of the other is there with them.
I believe that this is the image God is talking about, "Man" in Genesis 5, is man AND woman, not just Adam.
"MAN is made in God's image," if that is the case, if it were a mirror persay, then God is made in man's image. (I say this just to make a point, not that God is made in OUR image, for those that may take this out of context)
I believe that Jesus was taken from God, made a separate person with a separate Spirit.
He then came together with God the Father and their Spirits form the Holy Spirit.
So, wherever the Holy Spirit is, Jesus is there; and so is the Father.
That is why Jesus is called the Firstborn of all creation, and in Revelation 3

14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Does that make sense to you? It was what I believe, God revealed to me a few years ago, after I pestered Him for the explanation of the Trinity for at least 15 years.
I would stand to be corrected if you could show that I was wrong, but as it is, it's a great story to tell the Jehova's Witnesses, they are shocked as the trinity is their favorite weapon against the Christian Church.
It shakes their doctrine to it's very core, they believe that Jesus is Michael the Archangel, not the true Son of God.
It's their best hook for taking people out of the Catholic church as they have no explanation and little knowledge of the scriptures.
Once you agree with them on one point, it's easy for them to get you to agree on another, then another, then another.
Just like the devil, he uses something small, like smoking or swearing when we are children, then slowly adds more and more rebellion until some commit murder or turn to drugs or suicide.
No-one decides to become a murderer overnight, or rob a bank overnight, it's a small step at a time.
I will say one thing for satan, he knows his business! And he knows our weakness!

Sorry, now I'm raving on!

Again, may I say how much I enjoyed your post, hope you weren't too late to see your sisters.

Cheers :) :)

No, we had a great time; it was a lovely afternoon. We enjoyed the peace and quiet of a nice cool day, at my country home, porch swings and great conversation. Thank you.

The Trinity is difficult to understand that is why faith is so important... but remember, in the beginning was the Word... and later the Word was made flesh, Jesus... He sent His Word and healed them. The Holy Spirit I believe is the very essence of God. The most tender part of Him, that's why blaspheming against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Some have even compared Him, the Holy Spirit, to a mother figure; the tenderness of a mother's care, love, teaching and sweet comfort.

I liked the way you described the relationship between a husband and wife. That was a good analogy. The Bible also uses that in some places, that is why, I believe, people get confused and think we are the Bride of Christ instead of the body. He said we are the body and members in particular. A man does not marry his own body. In Rev, the Spirit reveled who the Bride was, 'and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down….

From the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, His death and resurrection, until He returns for us, the Word calls us a peculiar people, a royal priesthood. Before that, the Jews were under the Law, the gentiles were outside, with no hope, but Jesus came and grafted us into the Olive tree for a season. We are under Grace, we who believe on Jesus, the Son of God.

Reconciliation making two one…. Now there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, bond nor free but all are one in Christ Jesus.

Peace and blessings,
t