April 17, 2005

Challenging both secular wisdom and Christian "doctrines."

What is the Kingdom of God?

Will our descendents know virtue?

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Reason vs. Faith: Excerpts from EarsToHear.net

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What was the "light" on the first day? On the first day, God said "Let there be light."? The sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day, so what was the light of the first day? Genesis 1:1-19

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"Because of our lack of understanding, we have always viewed the spiritual world as that which is to come." Charles S. Price Two Worlds

All the while, the physical world, which is temporary, was created by the spiritual world, which is eternal.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

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Romans 14:17: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Luke 17:20-21: And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, "The kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Ephesians 3:4-5: Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16: But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Wisdom, or knowing the deep things of God - The wisdom the Holy Spirit imparts and reveals what is outside the boundaries of human understanding. Spiritual things are understood in the spirit, for they are spiritually discerned. The world tries to comprehend them by the wisdom of man, when they are only revealed by the Holy Spirit, unto those in which He dwells. They are not of education or reason, they are of the mind of Christ, in us. Although the knowledge of God comes by way of our mind, it is the Spirit that quickens, or brings to life God's revelation. We cannot know God by our intellect, we can only know God through our spirit.

Matthew 11:25-27: At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in your sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper as I intended." Isaiah 55:8-11

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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. Genesis 2:7

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. John 20:22

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45-47

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For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (Is 40:13, Job 15:8, Jr 23:18) Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? (Job 41:3) For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 11:34-12:2

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:

and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Hebrews 8:10

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5